Blood Is Relative
by WritePassion
Summary: Sam and his friends deal with a tragic situation involving Esperanza's classmate.  A Sam/Yvette series 'episode'. Note: Final two chapters are up.
1. Chapter 1

_Warning: this story contains reference to drug use and child endangerment. An incident in our local paper gave me the idea for this story, so unfortunately, some of this is very real._

**Blood Is Relative**

By WritePassion

**Prologue**

After the kids had gone to bed, the lights were turned down low, soft music played, and Sam and Yvette spent their evening together. Sometimes they sat in the living room, other times out on the front porch, if the weather was nice enough. Then there were nights when they retreated to the back yard and by the light of a small fire in the fire pit they kept each other company. The locations were as varied as the activity. Tonight, they sat on the front porch on the new swing that Sam installed that day, feet up on the rail, barely moving back and forth as they listened to the radio perched on the small table nearby. It was an oldies station, and tonight they played romantic songs. Perfect for such a warm evening.

Yvette leaned into him as his arm went around her. "I love this song, Sam. When I was little, I used to imagine I would dance with my dream man to this song." She sighed contentedly. "I have my dream man, but..."

Not one to back down from a challenge, Sam stopped the swaying motion of the swing, grabbed her, and pulled her to her feet. His hand slipped around her waist as his other captured her free hand and he pressed her close. Then he moved his feet, and she moved with him. He was never much of a dancer, but for her he would pretend he was Fred Astaire in order to make her happy. They turned in a small circle and she laughed. In the spill of lamplight from inside the house, he saw her smile and it made him weak. Sometimes he wondered how he resisted some of the most tenacious interrogation techniques in the world, yet the sound of his wife's voice could put him at her mercy.

She sang along with the music, and he closed his eyes, listening to her. He loved the sweet sound, whether she spoke or sang, but when she sang, it was like listening to the angels. He started to sweat from the exercise and the warm humid evening, but he knew she didn't care. She would keep on singing and dancing with him until they turned into a puddle together. The song ended, replaced by something with a faster tempo. They stopped, disappointed, but not at what they saw before them. Sam dipped his head to kiss her, and she responded with her soft, still lips.

A crying child broke the spell. Sam closed his eyes, lifted his head, and stepped away. "You want me to see what's up?"

"No, I'll take care of it." She kissed him quickly. "You just stay there and look handsome. I'll be right back." She giggled and ran into the house.

He could hear her feet hurrying up the stairs. With the kids' bedrooms being at the back of the house, he couldn't hear what was happening. He was tempted to spy, but she told him to stay where he was. It seemed like a good idea, so he waited.

His phone rang. Sam grumbled at the intrusion. He should have turned it off or left it in the house, but then he saw on the screen that it was Michael. _What have you and Fi gotten yourselves into this time?_ He picked up promptly. "Yeah? This better be good, Mike, 'cause right now your kid is interrupting some serious Sammy time with my wife."

"Sorry, Sam," Michael apologized, although he didn't sound as if he was really that sincere. Hard driving music played in the background.

"Sounds like you're having fun."

"Well, Fi dragged me to this concert, and it wasn't half bad, I have to admit. Now we're out at a club somewhere in South Beach."

"And you had to call and tell me this because..."

"We hooked up with an old friend of mine. His name is Phil Mackie. Remember Phil? We were in Afghanistan with him."

"Phil?" There's a name he hadn't heard in awhile. "Oh yeah, I remember him. I didn't even know he lived in Miami."

"He doesn't. He's here on business, and...oh, hang on Fi. We'll talk about this tomorrow! You good with keeping the kids overnight?"

"Sure, no problem. Night, Mikey." But Michael already closed the connection. Sam shook his head. _Finally got the guy to loosen up, and now he really knows how to have a good time!_ Sam kind of missed those days at times, but when he heard Yvette's bare feet padding eagerly down the stairs to meet him, all thoughts of anything but her faded away.

"Sorry, honey. Marielle has an upset tummy, I think. She probably misses her mommy and daddy."

"Well, sounds like they're having the time of their lives, and we've got the kids all night."

"No problem. You know this is the first time they've been out since Marielle was born, and that was over a year ago!" Yvette said. "Samuel and Luke are down for the count, and Espie, well, she's never any trouble." She moved closer, but she could feel that something has changed. "What's the matter, honey?" Her hands moved up his chest, trying to bring back the magic from before they were interrupted.

"Mike met up with an old friend of ours from our military days."

"Well, that's good. Isn't it?"

"We, uh, didn't exactly part on the best of terms the last time we saw each other. I'm not sure it's a good thing for Mike to get hooked up with him again."

Yvette enveloped him in her arms and ran soft kisses along his jawline. "Oh honey, don't worry about it. Time changes people." She pulled back and looked into his eyes. "It must have been something serious for you to be so worried about it."

"I wish I could tell you, but..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. It's classified," she finished for him with a roll of her eyes and a deep sigh. Then she looked at him slyly. "Now, where were we before all these interruptions?"

"Right about here," he replied as he took her into his arms and slow danced with her body pressed close to his. It sure wasn't anything close to South Beach, but the simple pleasures of a quiet night at home with the person he loved more than anything in the whole world made the nightclubs pale in comparison. And there was no hangover to regret the next day, either.

**Chapter 1**

Sam met Michael and Fiona at Carlito's and brought their kids Lucas and Marielle along while Yvette walked Samuel and Esperanza to school. Michael sat with his sunglasses on, looking tired. Fiona appeared only slightly better. Sam couldn't help but laugh and give them a little grief.

"Don't you think you two are getting a little old for the all-nighters?" He chuckled as he stopped the stroller near Fi's chair. "See kids? This is what happens when Mommy and Daddy have too much fun."

"Sam," Michael growled.

Sam grinned as he sat across from Michael. "Just having a little fun, Mikey, that's all. While you two were tearing up the town, Eve and I had a nice little dinner after the kids went to bed, danced on the front porch, and fell into bed at a slightly indecent hour." He smirked. "Despite a houseful of kids, we had a great time. I really think you need to consider building a couple bedrooms for Luke and Mari in that loft, Mike. Then you can have date nights at home."

"And no doubt you'd volunteer to help," Michael replied as he stared at Sam.

"Oh, you bet! Turnabout is fair play, after all you guys did help us build, it's only right. I bet Jack could put together some plans for you."

"Yeah, well, whatever we did, we'd have to get Sergei's permission. It's his place, you know."

"You've been living there how many years now? You're the best tenant he's got! He'd be crazy not to let you do what you want. Otherwise you could go buy that house down the street from Maddie and Dad's place." He laughed at the stony look Michael gave him. The thought of living anywhere near his mother was too much for him. "Oh yeah, Michael Westen, ex-spy, living in a house. That would be too domestic for you, I know. But hey, it's not bad, really!"

"Hey, Sam. Long time no see."

Sam glanced up at the source of the familiar voice. "Phil. Yeah, it's been awhile. Didn't know you were in town."

"We ran into him last night at one of the clubs," Michael replied with a slight smile.

"You missed a great night out," Phil added as he sat down opposite Fi and placed cups of coffee in front of the couple and himself. "Sorry, didn't know you were here or I would have bought you a round."

He waved off the server when she gave him a questioning look. "No worries, Phil. I was, uh, just dropping off Mike and Fi's kids, and I have to get going."

"What's the rush, Axeman?"

When Jack used the nickname, it sounded like an endearment. When Phil used it, it sounded like an offense.

"It's Career Day at school, and Espie asked me...no, she begged me...to come and speak to her class. I'm still working out the kinks, but I've almost got it. I get five minutes to talk and take questions."

Phil looked at him and Sam could read his mind. _Whatever, Axeman. What a boring life you lead. Where's Sam the ladies' man? You've changed, man, and not for the better! _Sam would beg to differ, but he knew it was a waste of breath.

"Oh, and thanks for the green light on this, Mike. I wasn't so sure I could make it work without getting into too much detail."

Michael replied, "I think you can handle this, Sam. You're good at public speaking. And besides, you have more classroom experience than Jack and me combined."

"Oh yeah, considering neither of you has any, that's not saying much. Anyway, I better get out of here." He stood. "See you guys Sunday?"

"We'll be there."

"Great. See ya later." He bent down and gave Marielle a kiss on the top of her head, and Lucas held up his hand to give Uncle Sam a high five. "You kids be good for Mommy and Daddy, okay?" He acknowledged Phil. "Behave yourself while you're in town, Phil. Don't want to have to pull your sorry butt out of the street like we did in..."

"Sam." Michael glanced at him.

He nodded once, waved and turned to walk away without another word. It bothered him that Michael seemed to be thick with Phil again. He was a bad influence back in the day, although he never seemed to have much effect on Michael. If anything, his loose ways seemed to make his friend even more intense and a stickler for order and rules. It was Sam who found himself in more trouble; between Phil and Jack, there was plenty to go around. What worried him the most about Phil was that the guy always seemed to have an angle, or a tip on a hot deal, and it usually involved something shady. He looked like he was doing well; designer suit, silk shirt, expensive shoes. He was a real head turner; then again, he always was, in or out of uniform. _I just hope he's not into something that Mikey has no business getting into._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

It was such a beautiful day, Sam walked to the school. Before he left, he wrestled with what to wear. Should he dress in a suit and be professional? Should he just go as he was in his usual hawaiian shirt and khakis? His usual attire won out. He could just imagine the sneers from some of the other parents, but this was his uniform and it worked.

When he arrived, Samuel's kindergarten class was outside playing. He caught sight of his son and waved, and he waved back. Samuel was in kindergarten all day now, and adjusted well to the change. Esperanza was in fourth grade. How that time flew! It seemed like yesterday he sat for hours with her at the dining room table preparing her for the second grade. She'd come so far in such a short time; he couldn't have been more proud of her. And obviously she was proud of her dad, because she wanted so badly for him to come and speak to her class about his work. So he prepared a three minute speech on being a private investigator, and left two minutes for questions. If he was lucky, he'd be done in three and a half minutes.

He wasn't prepared for other parents asking him more questions than the kids.

"Do you find deadbeat dads," one woman asked.

"My associates and I handle a lot of missing person's cases. We've found people who were kidnapped and held for ransom...or they're trying to hide or on the run...you name it, we do it."

"Good. I want to talk to you after class."

His time ran over but none of the adults seemed to mind; a couple of them seemed relieved that they didn't have the chance to get up and speak. The bell rang, and it was time for the kids to go home. Sam found himself held back by several parents who wanted his card, and he was glad he'd had some made up recently. Since Michael decided to go freelance, and Jack's own business was going under without the resources and contacts that Sam and Michael had, the three joined forces to create the Westen Axe Ryman Agency, or WAR Agency. They even bothered to get licenses, with Paxson's help, so they were legit. Sam put together a logo, and their business was now on cards for anyone who was interested.

"Dad, are you done," Esperanza asked impatiently as she stood nearby with her book bag. Samuel stood next to her with his own little bag. Sam still wasn't used to a kindergartener having homework, but he was adapting.

"Yeah, hang on kids." To the woman who spoke up in class, he said, "Just give us a call and we'll see what we can do for you, okay, Ms…."

"Taylor." She replied with a wide smile and shook his hand. "Thank you for the card. I will definitely call."

"Mr. Axe, thank you for coming to our Career Day today," Mrs. Gannon, Esperanza's teacher, said as she walked toward the exit with him and the kids. "It was quite interesting."

"And I barely touched the really good stuff," he replied with a smile. "You know, I could probably come in some other time and do a science-related presentation. You know, teach them about fingerprints and evidence collection, stuff like that."

"That's so lame, Dad. Fiona should come in and teach us how to make..."

"No," Sam exclaimed and halted her with a finger poised over her lips. He shook his head and laughed nervously. "Kids, the stuff they come up with!"

"Mrs. Gannon! Mrs. Gannon!"

All eyes turned to the boy standing in the classroom door. "What is it, Billy?"

Sam glanced at Esperanza, a question in his eyes. She nodded. This was the same Billy who taunted her on the playground two years earlier. Today, he looked like a frightened kid. "It's…it's my dad. I can't wake him up!"

"What do you mean, you can't wake him up?"

"Come on, I'll show you!"

Mrs. Gannon hurried out of the room with Sam and the kids in pursuit. Billy led them to a rusting older model car idling at the curb. A man was inside, slumped over the steering wheel.

"There he is, that's my dad."

In the back seat, a baby in a car seat screamed, her face beet red.

"Mrs. Gannon, you better call 911," Sam said as he came around to the driver's side and turned off the vehicle. "Espie, can you..." He cocked his head toward the baby.

"Sure, Dad." For a nine year old, she was exceptionally responsible. She had experience with caring for Michael's kids, so he trusted her to quiet the baby.

While Esperanza got into the back and settled the baby down, Sam opened the door, checked for a pulse and found it. His eyes drifted to the passenger seat, and what he saw there made him freeze for a moment.

"Dad? Is he okay?"

"Espie, I want you to take your brother home and tell your mom I'll be a little late."

"But…"

"Now, Espie!" His eyes met hers, and she nodded. She slowly got out of the car, and taking Samuel's hand, she led him home.

Mrs. Gannon got off her cell phone and asked, "What's wrong with him, Mr. Axe?"

Sam stood and leaned over the roof, speaking so only she could hear. "This guy shot up heroin, right here in front of the school!"

"What?" The teacher gaped at him, her mouth hanging open. "Mr. Axe, are you serious?"

"Check out the front seat and then ask me again." He unbuckled the guy from the seat and got him under the arms to carry him to the strip of grass between the street and sidewalk. His burden suddenly got lighter, and he found another teacher grabbed the unconscious man by the legs and helped.

"I can't believe it. I just can't believe this could happen," Mrs. Gannon muttered as she stood nearby as Sam and the teacher laid him down.

Sirens echoed off the school and the houses across the street, while parents, teachers, and students milled around watching the scene unfold. Sam stood and got out of the way for the professionals to work and helped the cops pull people back.

"Come on, let these guys have room," he said. When they had a buffer of about ten feet, he himself stepped back into the crowd. He found Esperanza's teacher and approached her. "Not exactly the way you wanted to start a weekend, was it?"

"No, Mr. Axe. Who in their right mind would do this...and right in front of a school, while waiting to pick up a kid? It's insane!"

"Yes, it is. But addicts don't really think about that, Mrs. Gannon. It's all about them. What really scares me is that he thought he could drive those kids home, or wherever he was going, while he was high." Sam looked one more time at the scene. "I have to go now."

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Axe. I'm sure that guy'll appreciate it too, if he didn't kill himself."

"You're welcome, Mrs. Gannon." He gave her a small smile. "By the way, I was very impressed with your class. They're a bunch of good kids."

"Billy can be a handful sometimes, but now I see why." Her eyes reflected pity for the boy. "What's going to happen to the children?" They looked toward the car and saw a woman standing near it holding the baby. Billy leaned against the door, trying to look cool, but the fear in his eyes gave him away.

"I don't know. Do you know where their mother is?"

Mrs. Gannon shook her head. "No, I don't. Billy never talks about her, just his dad."

Sam nodded. He could see that the situation really rattled her. "Excuse me a second." He gently pushed through the crowd to approach the woman standing with the children. She was young and wore a suit and an annoyed expression. "Hi. Are you related to these kids?"

"No, I'm the school counselor. Who are you?"

"My name's Sam Axe. My daughter Esperanza and son Samuel go to school here, and I just happened to be here for Career Day."

"Oh, you're that private detective people were talking about." By her tone of voice and the way she looked at him and his casual attire, he could tell she was less than impressed. "You needn't bother getting involved, Mr. Axe. I've called Social Services, and they're on the way to pick up the kids."

"Well, hate to burst your bubble, but I had no intention of getting involved," he replied with a smirk. "I was just concerned for the kids' welfare, that's all. I see a stranger standing here holding onto one of them, and I have to wonder what her motive is." He smiled. "That's all." _Take that, lady!_

A car pulled up to the curb behind the father's car, and Sam smiled at the familiar face. "Irina!"

"Sam, how are you?" Irina grinned at him and approached. The counselor looked even less pleased that the social worker knew Sam.

"I'm great, the whole family's great. Funny meeting you here."

"Your kids attend school here now, don't they?"

"Yeah."

The counselor cleared her throat to get their attention. "You're from DSS, I take it."

"Yes. Irina Dimitriov." She held out her hand, but the counselor didn't respond.

"Ms. Dimitriov, I'd really like to get home to my own family, so if you don't mind…."

"Oh, of course." Irina took the baby from her. "Did the police get a statement from you?" The counselor nodded. "Good, then you can go home to your family. Thank you for your help!"

The woman was gone like her tail was on fire. "Hard to believe that woman has kids, and she works with them every day." Sam shook his head. "Grouch."

The baby began to fuss, and Irina asked, "Sam, could you take her for a minute? I have to call my superiors."

"Sure, no problem." He took the little girl and bounced her lightly, but it didn't soothe her. "I bet you're hungry, aren't you, sweetie?" Irina was on her phone, so he looked down at the boy who stayed rooted to the spot staring off toward his father. "Hey, Billy? Can you do me a favor and see if there's a bottle in your sister's diaper bag?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, sure." He stuck his body into the car and pulled out the bag, rooted around, and found a bottle inside. "It's half empty." He held it up and shook it.

"Well, let's see if this does the trick." Sam popped off the top and gave it to the girl, and she eagerly sucked on it. "There you go! But that's not nearly enough."

Irina came back to them and said, "You've become quite an expert on feeding babies, huh?"

"Between my own and Mike's kids, yeah, I've had a little exposure to feeding rituals." He chuckled. "This ought to get her to the agency shelter, and then someone can get some solid food into her. She's gotta be, what, about eight months old?"

Irina watched him interact with the baby, and an idea formed in her head. "Sam…I know this is a lot to ask of you, but…would you be willing to take the kids in for the weekend?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I assure you it would only be temporary! The, uh, shelter is quite full right now, and we've had to resort to asking some of the former foster parents, who are in good standing with us, to take on some of the children for awhile. This is an emergency fix only."

"Well, I'd say yes right off the bat, but I better check with my wife first." He handed Irina the baby and pulled out his phone. He quickly explained the situation to Yvette, and he smiled as she gave him her reply. He hung up the phone and said, "They've got a place to stay for as long as you need it. If it's longer than the weekend, no problem."

Irina beamed. "Thank you, Sam!"

"Maddie's coming by to pick us up, so she'll be here in a bit. Is there any paperwork or anything I need to sign?"

"I'll bring it over tomorrow morning. How does that sound? Then I can see how things are going with the kids."

"Sounds like a plan. Thanks, Irina."

"No, thank you, Sam! You don't know how much you're helping these kids." Her gaze wandered over to the man lying on the grass. He was being prepared for transport and still had not regained consciousness.

"I hope you're going to look into this and find their mother."

"We'll do our best," Irina answered with a distressed look on her face. "The fact is, Sam, right now our agency is so backed up with kids and cases, it may take awhile. He'll probably get out of the hospital, and jail, before we find out anything. So be prepared. He may come looking for them."

Sam snorted. "Wouldn't be the first time that's happened. I'll see what we can do." He slipped a card out of his pocket even while he held the eight month old child against his hip. "We're official now." He smiled at her.

A horn tapped, and his head turned. Police tape kept Maddie from driving too close to the scene, and a cop held up his hand for her to stop. "Well, that's our ride. I better get! Billy, where...oh, there you are. Come on, let's go." He put his hand behind the boy's head and steered him toward the car.

"We'll talk later, Sam!"

"Okay. See ya, Irina."

"Where are we going," Billy asked.

"I'm taking you and your sister home with me," Sam replied as he picked up the diaper bag that had been left on the trunk lid of the father's car. "I'm Esperanza's dad."

"Yeah, I know that." He looked at Sam with unease in his eyes. "You're saying I have to live with Espie? She's...she's..."

Sam replied, "Yeah, she's a girl,I know, but it'll be okay, really. We'll take good care of you guys." He opened the back door and let Billy inside. THe boy climbed in past the car seat and buckled himself in while Sam dropped the bag on the floor and set the little girl into the seat. As he fastened the harness, he asked, "What's your sister's name?"

"Nicole. We just call her Nicki."

"Okay, Nicki. You're all set." Nicki gave him a grin and giggled, her hands slapping the baby toy attached to the seat. He gave his attention to Billy. "We don't have far to go. We'll be home soon, and there'll be a nice meal waiting for us."

Sam got into the passenger seat up front. Maddie looked at him and asked softly, "What happened, Sam?"

He leaned closer and replied softly, "Kid found his dad od'd in the car after school. Now DSS says they can't put them up at their facility, so Irina asked if we'd take them in until things get straightened out."

"And you couldn't say no, could you?" She gave him a disapproving look that quickly turned into a grin. She patted his leg. "Good for you, Sam. I'm proud to call you my son."

"Thanks, Maddie. I appreciate that. But I didn't do it to make brownie points with anyone." He glanced back at the kids. Billy played with his sister, and Sam got the impression that, despite his apparent dislike for girls his own age, he loved his sister. He probably felt like they only had each other now, and he was making the best of it. "Those kids need us badly."

"Putting them with you and Yvette, that's probably one of the smartest things that agency has ever done. Other than giving you Esperanza." She smiled.

During their conversation, she turned the car around and got them home. She pulled into the driveway as Yvette and Esperanza came out of the house. Samuel jumped off a flying swing and ran to catch up to them.

"Well, we're here. See, that wasn't so far." He said to Maddie, "Thanks for the ride...Ma." He winked and got out of the car. "See you Sunday?"

"We'll set an extra place at the kids' table, just bring your high chair." Maddie beamed.

"We'll do that!" Sam retrieved Nicki and her diaper bag while Billy got out on the other side of the car. He met the boy as he stopped in front of Yvette.

Yvette looked down at Billy and smiled warmly. "Hello, Billy! I'm Esperanza's mom, Yvette. And this is Samuel, her brother."

"Hi," Billy spoke softly, shyly. He glanced up at Sam and Nicki. "That's my sister, Nicki."

"It's very nice to meet both of you, Billy. Espie, why don't you show Billy where to wash up. Supper is just about ready. And afterwards, we'll figure out where you kids are going to sleep, okay?"

"Come on, Billy." Esperanza beckoned for him to follow her inside. Samuel followed, not sure what else to do.

"Sam, she's adorable," Yvette said as she grinned at the blonde haired, blue eyed little girl who gave her an easy grin in exchange. "She seems like a happy child."

"Thank God, because if you'd seen what I saw today, you'd wonder how these kids survive."

She saw the disturbed crease of his brow and asked, "Where is their mother?"

"Don't know. But if the agency doesn't find her, we'll have to look for her ourselves."

"Ah, your new clients," Yvette said as she reached out and took the baby from Sam's arm. "Come on, Nicki, let's go inside and get cleaned up, and then I'll put together a little plate just for you."

Sam's heart lurched as the little girl leaned into Yvette and put her arms around her neck. Did she miss her mother? Did Yvette remind Nicki of her? Only time would tell the real story behind these kids and what their home life was like. Sam followed inside. His phone rang, and he picked up immediately.

"Hey, Mike. What's up?"

"Ma tells me that you're taking in a couple more foster kids. Sam, what are you thinking? You don't have the room for them there."

"We'll make room, Mike. Billy is...Hang on." He paused to make sure he wasn't around. He looked at Yvette as she put Nicki into the high chair. She pointed up toward the ceiling. Sam nodded, dropped the diaper bag on the table, and went back outside. "Billy is in Espie's class, and I can tell he's a tough kid. It's probably a defense mechanism to deal with his dad's addiction. We don't know if there's a mom out there, and if so, where she is. That's what we need to figure out."

"Sam..."

"What, you've got something better to be doing right now? If you don't wanna take this on, I'll either get Jack to help or I'll do it myself."

Silence passed for a few moments. "I'm sorry, Sam. That's not what I was implying. I'm just concerned, that's all."

"What's the big deal? We take them in for awhile and help them find their mom. How hard can it be? It's not like I've never dealt with kids before."

Michael sighed. "It's just that you're taking on two more, at the same time, when you already have two." He paused. "I gotta admit, you've got more guts than me in that regard."

Sam laughed. "Or maybe I'm just more crazy. We'll never know until we try, Mike. If we get too crowded, we get too crowded. I just think these kids are starving for love right now, and if we can give them that, it's all good."

"I worry about what happens if we find their mother. If she hasn't been an active part of their lives, what's going to change her into mom of the year all of a sudden?"

"One step at a time, Mikey."

"Sam! Supper's ready!"

"Oh, gotta go, Mike. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Yeah. If you need any help with the kids, Sam, just call. I mean that."

"Thanks, but I think you've got your own hands full with two little ones." Sam smiled. "Later, Mike."

He slipped his phone back into his pocket and glanced toward the fence as he made his way to the back porch. Mrs. Petersen was looking at him. She approached the fence, leaned on it and asked, "What are you doing with those two kids?"

"Long story, Mrs. P. They'll be staying with us for awhile until things get worked out with their family situation."

She nodded. "Okay. You just make sure things don't turn into a zoo over there!"

He nodded and smiled at her. "We'll do our best, Mrs. P."

She seemed satisfied with his short answer. Without another word, she turned and shuffled back to her house. The woman was a strange one. When they moved in and took in Esperanza, he thought she would have a heart attack. Yet as time went by, she'd thawed out her icy exterior to the point where now and then she came over and talked to the kids. She even brought them cookies once. He wasn't sure what two more would do, but he hoped that if they stayed for any length of time that she would be as hospitable to them as his own children.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

After supper, once the dishes were cleared from the dining room table, Mr. Axe grabbed a cloth and cleaned the table before announcing, "Okay, kids, it's time for homework!"

Samuel snatched his pack from where he laid it on the buffet and staked out a spot on one side of the dining room table, and Esperanza laid her books on the table and took her seat on the opposite side. She patted the chair back next to her. "Billy, you can sit here."

"Next to you?" He sneered. He looked up and saw Mr. Axe watching. "I, uh, didn't bring my books h...with me. They're still at school." If he thought that would get him out of homework, he was sadly mistaken. Espie's dad left the room and soon returned with a notebook, pencil, and pen for him.

"There you go, Billy. Those are yours now. When you two are done, I'll check your work. If you have any questions, or need help with something, I'll be here."

He watched Mr. Axe leave with his wife, taking his sister out to the porch. Mrs. Axe and Nicki seemed to take to one another right away, which was more than a little unsettling to him. She kind of looked like their mother. That had to be the reason, that and the fact that Nicki hadn't seen her for awhile now. She was just confused.

"Billy, you're not paying attention!" Espie tapped his shoulder.

"Huh?" He turned back to the book.

"Here, I finished three problems and you haven't even done one yet. Go ahead, and I'll wait for you to catch up."

"You don't have to. I'll finish this page before you."

Espie's lips pursed, as if she were about to say something and thought better of it. "Okay." They fell silent and worked on the problems, and when they were both finished with the page, they checked their answers.

"You got that one wrong. And that one. And that one! Billy, you're not very good at math, are you?"

"Whether I am or not is none of your business!" He pushed Esperanza, and she fell sideways off her chair.

"Billy!" She screamed, quickly got to her feet, and lunged at him. His chair tipped over with a thump, and she was on top of him, pinning his legs and pressing his wrists into the area rug.

"Get...off...me!" He got a leg loose, kicked at her back, and missed.

Billy was usually pretty good at keeping his virtual radar up, scanning for adults, but he didn't notice the screen door slamming and the pounding of feet until Mr. Axe pulled his daughter off and set her away from him. "What on earth are you two doing?"

"He pushed me, Dad."

"I don't care. Go to your room, right now." She stood with arms crossed, staring Billy down. "Now, Missy!"

"But Dad!"

Billy watched the scene unfolding, and he expected that at any moment, Mr. Axe would pull his hand back and swat Espie across the face for sassing off. It never happened. Her father raised his voice, but he never made a move to hurt her. She defied him until he spoke in a controlled tone.

"Espie. You're grounded. After you go to your room, I'm calling Ms. Olga and telling her you won't be at skating practice tomorrow, or all the next week."

Esperanza's jaw dropped and her hands fell to her sides. Billy gaped when he saw that the threat did more to diffuse the situation than if Mr. Axe had hit her. Her eyes turned into pools of overflowing tears as she ran out of the room and up the stairs.

"And no running in the house!"

Her door slammed. Mr. Axe stood over Billy with hands on hips, staring up at the ceiling. When he looked down, he gave him a warmer expression than he gave his own daughter. He held out a hand and helped him stand.

"Sorry you had to see that, Billy. She's usually a good kid. I don't know what's gotten into her."

"It's okay, Mr. Axe. I was being kind of a smartass." He paused and looked up at Sam with uneasiness. "And I did push her first."

"Still, that doesn't mean she had license to do what she did. Oh, and please don't use words like that around here."

Billy knew which word he meant and nodded solemnly. He didn't dare defy Espie's dad after what happened. He felt bad for starting the disagreement and making Esperanza miss her skating practice. He knew she loved skating, and she was lucky to have parents who could afford to take her to lessons and stuff. "Does she really have to miss her lesson?"

"Yes. I mean what I say," he replied. He set the chairs upright and asked, "Do you need help with your math? I'd be happy to sit with you and see how you're doing, maybe give you a few tips for figuring it out."

Billy didn't know what to make of this. His dad never asked him if he needed help with homework. He probably didn't even care what he brought home or if he did his assignments. Usually, he was in a stupor or a wild rage, neither mood one in which he could help with the homework. _He probably can't, even if he wanted to._

"Billy? It's okay if you don't know the work. If you sit down and let me go over it with you, I promise by Monday you'll have a better grasp on it. We'll work together to make it make sense."

He had two choices: say yes and maybe learn something, or say no and go running out the door. But he had no idea where to go, and he certainly couldn't leave his baby sister behind. He studied the friendly smile on Mr. Axe's face as he sat at the table and met his eyes. Then he turned to work with Samuel on helping him print his alphabet. Billy was mesmerized as he watched the two. He didn't laugh at Samuel when he made a mistake, or make him feel stupid. He just showed him again how to do it, and Samuel followed along eagerly. Mr. Axe was like Mrs. Gannon, only he was a guy. He'd never had a male teacher. He wondered if Mr. Axe would really help him like he said. Mrs. Gannon helped the other kids when they asked, but sometimes he held his hand up forever and it was like she didn't see it. Then he got impatient and acted up, and she was disappointed in him. He didn't care. She wasn't his mom.

Billy sighed and sat himself in the chair next to Mr. Axe. He would try it and see just how far he could trust this stranger to do as he said. He'd already seen that he wasn't kidding with Espie's punishment, although he still hadn't called her skating teacher. Maybe he was bluffing. And maybe he lied about wanting to help him with his math.

"Mr. Axe?"

"Just a second, Billy. Sammy, you can do the rest yourself. I know you can."

"Okay, Daddy." Samuel smiled wide.

"And when you finish, I want you to do it five more times." He held up his hand and stretched out his fingers. "Five, okay?"

Samuel nodded vigorously.

Just when Billy was starting to think he'd been forgotten, Mr. Axe turned to him. "You ready to work hard now?"

"Yes," Billy answered with less enthusiasm than Samuel showed.

Mr. Axe chuckled. "Okay, let's see what you've got so far and go from there."

By the time they finished for the night, not only did Billy complete his math homework, he had a much better understanding of how it all came together. He felt a sense of pride when he was able to do some problems that Mr. Axe made just for him and weren't from the book. While Billy eagerly attacked them, he got up.

"I'll be right back. I have to call Ms. Petrov and tell her that Espie won't be there tomorrow or all next week." He left the room and went into the kitchen. From where he sat, he could hear the one-sided conversation. "Good evening, Ms. Petrov. It's Sam Axe, Espie's dad...yeah, we're all fine, and you?" There was a pause. "Well, the reason I'm calling is that Esperanza got herself grounded, so she won't be at skating tomorrow or be at practice all week...uh huh...I'm firm on that. No compromise. You know she's got a...how shall we say it...spirited streak in her, and sometimes she lets it get the better of her. That's what happened tonight, so now she has to face the consequences."

Billy was too shell-shocked to listen any further. He'd never heard an adult talk like that, because all his life his parents let him get away with pretty much whatever he wanted. He wasn't sure what was scarier, to get whacked upside the head by a dad who really didn't care, or to have a parent who was so unbending as to take away something a kid loved as punishment. If he were Esperanza, he probably would have been making plans to shimmy down the rain pipe after dark and run away.

Mrs. Axe came into the house with Nicki, and he noticed that she'd fallen asleep on the nice lady's shoulder. She smiled at Billy and went upstairs with her. He glanced toward the windows and saw that the sun had gone down and it was getting dark outside. They would probably want him to go to bed soon. He wasn't really tired. After a little while, Mr. Axe came out of the kitchen with a glass of what looked like iced tea. Mrs. Axe came back downstairs and met him in the dining room and stood near Billy. She looked down and smiled.

"I've got a nice little bed made up for you in the office, Billy."

He wanted to say he wasn't tired, but he was afraid to make Mr. Axe mad, so he got off the subject. "Where's Nicki?"

"She's in a portable crib. Sam, we'll have to see if we can get the crib back from Michael and Fi tomorrow."

"I'll see if they can drop it off. I know they were going to be over at Maddie and Dad's tomorrow." He took a sip from his glass and handed it to her.

"Gee, thanks, hon." She laughed, then took a sip herself. "Did you guys get anything accomplished in here?"

"After I sent Espie to her room, yes." Sam replied as he helped Billy gather up the books and put them away. "Oh, by the way, she's grounded for the week. No skating."

Mrs. Axe nodded. "Good idea. I think she needs a little break for a bit." She glanced down at Billy, hesitated, and continued. "We'll talk about this later."

Mr. Axe clapped his hands together. "Okay, Billy. Time for you to shuffle off to bed!"

He stood in one place, and the couple looked down at him.

"Something wrong?"

"I...I don't have any pajamas, Mrs. Axe. Or a toothbrush...or anything." Billy didn't move, so Mr. Axe placed a hand on his shoulder and steered him upstairs. The man touched a sore spot where his dad gripped him too hard the day before and left a big bruise. He secretly hoped they wouldn't have anything for him to sleep in, so he could just wear his clothes. He was afraid of what would happen if they saw what his dad did.

"Eve, did you find anything for him to wear?"

"Not really. Billy, you can sleep like that or in your underwear tonight, and tomorrow we'll go shopping and get you some stuff, okay?"

"Maybe we could go to where I live and get my things? I don't need to go shopping."

"It's okay, really. I was planning on taking Samuel while...oh yeah, that's right." She smiled. "We can still go shopping."

"Mrs. Axe, I'd really rather go to my house. I have a key to get in."

Mr. Axe's eyes locked onto hers. "How about you and I go together?" Billy nodded, a slight smile on his face. "Okay, now that we've got that settled, let's go."

Billy's steps were lighter as he hurried upstairs with Mr. Axe behind him, and he felt his gentle hands on his back as he was steered into the bathroom.

"Looks like my wife left you a toothbrush in here, and a few other things you can use. You okay?"

Billy nodded, and Mr. Axe left him alone. From where he stood, he had a good line of sight to Esperanza's room. After he checked on Samuel, Mr. Axe went in to talk to her. Billy couldn't hear their conversation from the bathroom, but as he walked past, he was again astounded by this man.

"Are you jealous that we're taking in Billy and his sister for a little while?"

She gave him a strange look. "Why would I be jealous?"

"I don't know. I just wondered, because the way you reacted tonight, that's not like you."

"I'm sorry, Daddy. I don't know what it is about that boy, but sometimes he really ticks me off!"

"I understand that, but Espie, he's going through some hard times right now. I...I would really like it if you could try to show him a little extra kindness. Don't let him get under your skin."

Esperanza sighed heavily. "It's hard, Daddy!"

"I know you can do it."

"I'll try."

"Oh, that was really convincing. I've got an idea. The next time he gets you mad, think about how you would feel in his shoes. It's not easy, but I know you have an imagination." He paused. "Maybe you can pray about it tonight."

"Okay, I'll give it a shot." She looked up at him with hope in her eyes. "Does this mean I can skate tomorrow?"

"No. Next week Saturday. Until then, every day that you're not on the ice, you think about why."

Esperanza fell silent and Billy saw her lower lip jut out, but when Mr. Axe said he loved her and leaned over for a hug, she gave it to him without hesitation. He kissed her cheek, laid her down, and kissed her forehead before getting up. Billy didn't stick around to see what else he did, because he didn't want to be caught spying. He hurried to the office where Mrs. Axe set up the day bed for him. She also plugged in a small night light in case he needed to get up during the night. He stuffed himself under the covers, turned off the reading light in the corner over the bed, and tried to go to sleep. He wasn't used to nodding off before ten...sometimes later.

Billy had left the door open just a crack, letting in a sliver of light from the hall. He heard the snap of a switch, and the light went away.

"Did you lock up downstairs," Mr. Axe asked her.

"Yep. Everything's locked up and turned off."

"Oh, that's too bad," he said, and she yelped and giggled.

"Sam!" There was a long silence, then he heard her sigh. "Well, not everything is turned off."

They laughed softly, and he heard their footsteps move away from the landing. Not long after, the sound of a door closing pierced the silence briefly. He found it hard to sleep with everything so quiet, but the occasional sound of laughter from the other side of the wall made him feel good. His parents never acted like that. It was all so foreign to him. He liked it. But then he had to tell himself that it was only temporary. Some day he would go home and he would have to listen to the thumps and muted screams on the other side of the wall instead of sounds of happiness...and love.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Saturday morning, as promised, Irina arrived with paperwork for Sam and Yvette to sign. Yvette let her inside and led her to the kitchen where the kids sat at the table with Sam. "Irina, would you like some coffee? How about some breakfast?"

Irina's stomach grumbled. She hadn't eaten anything, just a quick drive-thru breakfast burrito. "You know...that does smell really good. Sure, I'll stick around for awhile." She sat in the chair next to Billy and smiled at him. He gave her a half smile and returned his attention to the food on his plate. "I don't usually work on Saturday, but with everything being so hectic, it's the only way to keep up!"

Yvette set a plate of pancakes and sausage in front of her. "If you want any more, just holler!"

"Thank you, Yvette."

"Coffee," Sam asked.

"Yes, please." He filled her cup, gave himself a refill, and returned the pot before sitting down again.

"I'm glad I was able to catch you at home. So many people are off running errands or taking their kids to soccer practice or something on a Saturday morning." Her voice trailed off as she saw the drooping expression on Esperanza's face. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine. Nothing a little grounding won't take care of." Sam replied with a matter-of-fact tone.

"Oh." Irina squeezed some syrup onto her pancakes and made small talk with Sam and Yvette to make up for the unexpected gaffe.

Esperanza picked at her plate and sulked. Samuel ate his portion but left a few bites swimming in syrup. "Mama, can I go out and play?"

"Go wash your hands first. I know you got them all sticky!"

"Can I go too, Mrs. Axe?"

She glanced at his plate. While he didn't clean it, he at least made a good dent. "You sure you've had enough?" He nodded. "Okay, you do the same, wash up, and then have fun. After I get everything cleaned up here, we'll go shopping."

"Awww, do we have to?"

Yvette turned to Irina. "Isn't that just like a man?" To Billy, she said, "Yes, you have to."

"Maybe I should take him over to his house first," Sam suggested. "Then we can see what he needs."

"Sounds like a good idea, and you could go shopping right from there." She smiled deviously at Sam. He only looked at her, knowing he got caught in her little trap.

Irina watched the exchange with interest and amusement. "Before I forget, I better take care of business." She slid a file folder across the table to Sam. "Those are the papers you need to sign. You've been granted custody for as long as is necessary to resolve this case."

Sam took the pen she gave him and signed by the X's, and Yvette signed hers.

"Great!" She finished off her coffee, ran a finger along the edge of her plate and picked up some syrup, and sucked it off her finger. "That was really good, Yvette. I'll have to find another excuse to come over for breakfast again!"

"You're welcome any time, Irina." Yvette grinned.

Sam's phone rang. He answered it as he waved goodbye to Irina. "Hey, Mikey! When are you going to be at Maddie and Dad's? Can you bring the crib over if you're done with it? I know you were talking about putting Mari into a toddler bed soon...okay, terrific. I'll stick around until you get here, and we can put it together. Then I need to take Billy over to his house to get stuff for him and Nicki. And Eve wants me to go shopping, too." He said the last sentence as if the errand was a major chore. He listened to Michael, and laughed. "Okay, sounds good. See you in a couple hours."

"Sam, where's Espie?" Sometime during the meal she left without asking to be excused, which was unusual for her, but not unexpected considering what happened the night before.

"She better be in the house and not over at Zoe's." He got up and checked her room, and he found her lying on the bed reading.

"You ready to finish your homework?"

She turned and looked at him. "It's already done and on the desk."

Sam checked through the small pile of books on the surface, compared the assignments against what she wrote in her notebook, and nodded. "Good job. Now, if you want to, you can go outside and play in the yard, but no friends over."

Esperanza sighed. "That's okay. I'm reading right now." She returned to her book and gave Sam the cold shoulder.

He knew exactly what she was doing, but he wouldn't let her get away with it. He approached her, placed a gentle hand on her back and kissed her cheek. "I still love you."

"I know. Love you too, Dad."

Sam had time to do some digging on Billy's dad, and he hoped that he could also find something about the kids' mother. With his access to certain information, he found a wealth of records on Stephen Fuller in the cop database. Charges of drug possession and child endangerment were the newest ones filed the day before. Arrests for drug possession, dealing, battery...Sam couldn't believe that the state allowed him to keep his kids. He found a police report on a domestic disturbance going back to six months ago, resulting in charges being filed against Stephen and Diana Fuller.

"So, you're married. Or you were." Sam muttered as he tapped on the keys.

Diana Fuller's mug shot came up on the screen. No one ever looked good in a mugshot, so Sam had to use his imagination to picture her in real life. She had the potential to be a pretty woman with long, dark blonde hair and eyes that matched Billy's. Billy didn't look anything like his father. She had a short sheet herself, mostly shoplifting charges stealing baby items and formula. Stealing for her kids didn't justify what she'd done, but he could certainly empathize.

He sent an e-mail to Detective Paxson, hoping she could give him more information on the wife. He was holding off the inevitable, but in the end, he checked the Bureau of Vital Statistics for any reference to Diana Fuller. Nicki and Billy's birth certificates were on file, but there was no death certificate on Diana. Of course, it only deepened the mystery, but he at least knew she didn't die, not in the metropolitan Miami area, anyway. He didn't even want to entertain the notion that she may be a Jane Doe in a hospital or morgue.

"Sam, Michael and Fi are here!"

Sam shut down his computer and locked his private drawer, and he hurried downstairs. "Hey Mike, Fi." He tweaked Lucas's cheek and turned to Fiona and Marielle. "Look at you! I swear every time I see her, Fi, she gets bigger."

The little girl babbled at him and grinned. She looked so much like her mother, and nothing like Michael, with her reddish hair, blue-green eyes, and wide smile. She had her mother's slight frame. But she'd also been blessed with her temperament too, and Sam didn't envy his best friend that. Today, Marielle was in a good mood and reached out for Sam. Fiona let him take her.

"Oh boy, what's your mommy feeding you? Lots of yogurt, I bet!"

"She's in a growth spurt right now," Fiona responded with a hand on her hip, warning Sam not to make any cracks. "She's not fat."

"I wasn't saying that. She's just...oh, never mind." He set Marielle on her feet and she toddled around the kitchen while the adults talked.

"Hey Mike, let's go get that crib set up and then we can take Billy over to his place to pick up some clothes and things for him and Nicki."

"Are you hoping to find something else there?"

"Maybe. Who knows?"

Michael nodded and jingled his keys in his hand. "Sure. I'll drive."

The two of them assembled the crib in the office and then headed out. They stepped down to the sidewalk that led to the garage. Sam called out to him. "Billy!"

"Coming!" He and Samuel were playing in the sandbox. He swiped off his hands on his school pants that he still wore. "Hey, is that your car? It's really cool!" Billy practically drooled at the sight of the old Charger.

Michael smiled. "Yeah, it's mine. My dad gave it to me after he died."

"Wow. You must have had a pretty neat dad."

"Not really. Come on, let's take you to your house so you'll have some stuff to stay here."

As Michael drove, Sam took the time to ask Billy some questions. "Do you know where your mom is?"

"No. Dad said she left us a few weeks ago. I know she cried a lot, but did she have to leave us with him?"

"What did your dad do?"

Billy hung his head and clasped his hands. "Just partied all the time. And he hit her sometimes when she wouldn't do stuff for him. So then he tried to get me to do it for him, but I wouldn't. I couldn't. So he got mad at me the other day..."

"Is that why your shoulder hurt when I touched you last night?"

Billy's head flew up, his eyes wide. "How'd you know?"

Sam turned in the seat and wished he could reach out and touch him reassuringly, but the kid sat in the farthest corner of the back seat. So vulnerable and so untouchable. So Sam conveyed his care through the look he gave him as he replied, "Billy, you tried to get away twice when I put my hand on your shoulder. After the second time, I suspected something. Look, if you tell me who did this, you won't get into trouble. It was your dad, wasn't it?" Billy remained silent, but his eyes told Sam that he was correct. "I've seen your dad's rap sheet. It's no surprise, really."

"You shut up, mister! My dad's a good guy! He just has some problems, that's all! You like to think you're all perfect, don't you? And Espie always says you're the best dad in the world! But you're just like the others. Just wait, some day she'll see different."

The kid's words stung Sam, not because there was any truth behind them, but the fact that the boy looked at all men as being just like his dad. He blinked and turned to face forward again. "I hope that you're around us long enough to know that's not true, Billy."

Michael glanced at his friend. "He doesn't mean it, Sam. He's just lashing out because he doesn't know what else to do."

"Yeah, I know. It's okay."

Billy and Nicki didn't live in a house. It was an old apartment building near the freeway, a building that had definitely seen better days. The neighborhood didn't look much better. As they led Billy up to the door, they kept watch on the people eyeing them and the car. Before getting out they'd rolled up the windows and locked it, but in their experience, they knew that wouldn't deter someone serious about stealing it.

"Kinda wish we'd brought Fi along. Or Jack. Somebody to watch the car," Sam said.

Michael smiled thinly. "If we'd brought Fi along, you'd be sitting in the car waiting for us to get done."

Sam nodded. "Ain't that the truth. Okay, Billy, let's go on in." He noted how the boy scooted ahead, not letting Sam touch him again. It hurt, but he let it slide.

At the door, Billy stopped after unlocking it. He looked up at them. "Just so you know, it doesn't always look like this. It's just...it's been hard keeping up with stuff, you know."

The boy opened the door, and the two men weren't sure what they would find inside. Obviously, the place had been neglected for more than a short time. Trash littered the place, empty pizza and takeout boxes lay everywhere. Small empty baggies were strewn on the coffee table with a lighter and discarded spoons. Half smoked cigarettes, some made with legal substances, rested on top of a pile of ashes in an ashtray. Food dried onto plates sat forgotten on the table and the floor. An orange striped cat darted into a hiding place between the corner and a hutch in a small dining area, and when Sam followed it, the animal flattened itself enough to disappear underneath the small clearance between the furniture and the floor.

"Wow, even the cat's freaked out about living here," Sam declared as he continued to look around. "Either the guy's been having some parties, or he's quite the fan of pizza."

Michael turned right and walked down a short hallway that led to three bedrooms, one on each side of the hall, a larger one on the end of the hall, and a bathroom. The toilet tank held a collection of amber bottles, more than his mom ever had in her hypochondriac days. They had childproof caps, but Michael knew kids could open them faster than an adult. A couple of used syringes lay in the bottom of the trash basket. He shook his head and felt his anger rising. "We should have Paxson check this place out. There's enough evidence to bust this guy's butt for a long time."

"This isn't his first dance with the police when it comes to possession. Only this time he nearly killed himself right in front of a school filled with kids. He doesn't need an apartment full of dope to put the nail in the coffin, so to speak."

"Did you find out if he's even still alive?"

"Well, they pressed charges last night, so yeah, I would think he's still breathing." Sam left the bathroom and moved into Billy's room. The boy found a small suitcase and was loading it up with everything in his drawers, which wasn't much. "Hey, why don't you take your dirty laundry too. We'll get that cleaned up for you."

"No, it's okay. I did wash on Thursday, so everything is clean except what I'm wearing," Billy replied.

_The kid has five pairs of underwear, four pairs of socks, six shirts and a few pairs of shorts and pants to his name. And he does his own laundry. What kind of parents are these? _Sam kept calm as he looked around the room. Other than the sagging bed covered by an old bedspread with holes in it, and a dresser whose drawers looked as if they were ready to fall apart, the room was empty. Not a shred of the kid's personality in it, unless slum decor was something he liked. Sam made a mental note to get him a few changes of clothes while they were shopping.

"Do you have any other shoes besides those," Sam asked as he pointed to the worn sneakers on Billy's feet.

"No."

Sam couldn't keep a low growl from bleeding out of his pursed lips. "Well, if that's it..."

"Yeah. I just need to catch Flea, and we can go."

"Flea?"

"That's our cat. She's the orange one. We had another one named Tanya, but she ran away and we don't know where she went." He glanced up at Sam with hopeful eyes. "It's okay for me to take Flea, isn't it?"

"Sure, Billy. It'll be fine." He smiled reassuringly. "Nobody at our house is allergic to cats. We'll just have to make sure we have stuff for her."

While Sam interacted with Billy, Michael spent the time packing a small bag for Nicki. He found her things in the second bedroom. It was also sparsely furnished with a crib, a changing table, and a small dresser. Only one of the drawers had any clothing in it. A second drawer was filled with diapers, so he grabbed some of those even though he expected that Sam would buy some on his shopping trip.

The three were just about to leave when a heavy fist pounded on the door. "Crap, we should have called Paxson before we came in here," Sam whispered. "What if it's the cops?"

"Hey, Steve, open up! It's Benny!"

Billy looked scared and hid behind Michael and Sam.

"Is this a bad guy," Michael asked him solemnly.

Billy nodded. "He hurt my mom once."

"Okay, don't worry. You just go back in your room for a little bit, okay? Don't come out until we tell you to," Michael ordered him gently, and Billy dropped his suitcase and retreated to the room. Michael and Sam drew their weapons. "What do you want," Michael boomed through the door.

"We just want our cut. You've been holding out on us, dude, and we've been nice. Hey, we've been takin' good care of your woman, but if you don't pay up, we don't know how long we're gonna be able to do business here. You know what I mean?"

Sam's eyes widened as he picked up his phone and dialed.

"Paxson."

"It's Sam Axe," he whispered. "Get your butt down here to the Silver Palms Apartments. Something's going down at Steve Fuller's place, 2D."

"I'm on my way."

Paxson was as good as her word. She showed up with several cruisers, ready to get the jump on whoever was attempting to get into the apartment. Instead, they were surprised to find four gang bangers face down on the floor, hands and feet bound with plastic zip ties. The apartment door was wide open, and Sam, Michael, and Billy were nowhere to be seen. She holstered her weapon and smiled smugly. She'd been trying for months to catch Benny and his boys. The evidence against them would put them away for awhile, but they always seemed to evade capture. Only Michael Westen could gift wrap them like this for her.

"Westen, it's Detective Paxson."

"Detective, so nice to hear from you. What can I do for you?" Michael sat in the driver's seat outside the Walmart where Sam and Billy were quickly getting their shopping done.

"Oh, I think you've already done enough. I owe you one," she replied smoothly. "Benny and his friends are going down for a lot of things, and thanks to you, we now have them in custody."

"You're welcome. Now, when you interrogate them, I'd ask about Steve Fuller's wife, ask them where she is."

"Diana Fuller? Michael, right now she's in the hospital."

"What? When did this happen?"

"She was found in a dumpster down by the beach this morning." Paxson sighed. "They worked her over pretty good, and the doctors aren't sure if she'll survive, but no matter what, it sounds like we'll have something else to pin on these guys. Attempted murder, kidnapping, rape...you name it, it'll probably stick."

"They admitted they were holding her, but jeez, if they tried to kill her...they were planning on taking out Stephen too. Only they didn't know what happened at the school yesterday." He muttered a curse under his breath and got out of the car. "Paxson, there are two kids involved here. Two kids in danger." He walked with steady strides toward the store.

Her voice tightened. "Where are they now?"

"Social Services left them with Sam. Nicole is with Yvette, and Billy is with Sam. I'm going to get them right now, and take them back to Sam's house."

"Okay. I'll have police there by the time you arrive. They'll keep an eye on everything to make sure that nobody from Benny's gang locates the kids and tries to kill them. Or anyone in Sam's family."

"Thanks. Maybe we owe you now," Michael said as he entered the store and looked around. He saw Sam and Billy at the checkout and headed for them. "I see them now. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay. I'll call you if I find out anything new, Westen. Take care of those kids."

"We will." Michael broke the connection and approached Sam. "We've gotta get out of here now. Paxson found our present, and she thinks that maybe some of Benny's gang might be onto us."

"Great. Let's go." The two men walked quickly toward the exit with Billy between them, shielding him from anyone who might want to hurt the boy or take him captive.

All the way to the car they kept an eye around them, looking for cars cruising suspiciously or people sitting in parked cars studying their surroundings too intently. They made it without a hitch. Sam let Billy into the back seat and he thew their bags in back with him, then sat in front. He pulled out his gun and checked to make sure it was fully loaded. Billy watched with growing fear from the back seat. His eyes roved out the windows, nervously checking all around as Michael drove out of the parking lot. No one said a word as they returned to Sam's house without incident, and they noted a squad car parked outside the front of the house, the officer inside it pretending to work on reports while his eyes swept the area. As Sam ushered Billy to the house, he caught his eye and lifted a hand in acknowledgement for his surveillance. The cop only nodded and went back to his work.

Sam knew the police presence wouldn't escape Yvette's attention. He entered the kitchen with Billy and Michael behind him, and as soon as he stepped inside, she turned to him with hands on hips.

"Sam, what on earth is going on? There's a cop parked out front, and Mrs. Petersen has been over once already demanding to know why!"

"Billy, why don't you take your stuff upstairs? We'll figure out where to put it in a minute, okay?"

Billy nodded and hurried out of the room. He felt the tension, and in his experience, it wasn't smart to stick around when adults were mad.

"Well, Sam?"

"It's not as bad as it seems, honey. We went to Steve Fuller's apartment to get Billy's things, and while we were there, some thugs showed up." Sam gave her the short version as he reached into the fridge for a pitcher of iced tea. He lifted it, silently offering some to Michael, who nodded. "The upshot of it is that Paxson is worried someone might come after the kids. So the cops will be here for awhile." He poured two glasses. "Anybody else?"

"There's something you're not telling us, isn't there." Fiona knew. Somehow, she picked up on her husband's body language as he leaned against the counter, watching everything and stealing looks out the window now and then. "Michael?"

Sam glanced at Michael, who frowned and set his glass down on the counter. "We found out about Billy's mom. She's not in good shape."

"So both parents are in the hospital and may not make it." Yvette shook her head. "Those kids need us even more than we knew. Excuse me." She left the room and they soon heard her feet as they hurried up the stairs.

"Fi, we better go," Michael said as he stood and looked at Sam. "You going to be okay?"

"Yeah, we'll be fine. We've got the cop out front, and we're well armed. Go on, take your family home. No need to expose them to any danger."

Michael looked at his friend with conflict in his eyes. "Maybe I should stay here."

"No. It'll be okay, Mike. Please, just go. We need to let things calm down here." Sam ushered them out and stood watching them walk to Maddie and Samuel's to pick up their kids.

Yvette came back downstairs so silently, Sam never heard her, so when she approached him as he slowly turned away from the back door, his hand went for his gun before he realized it was her.

"Sorry, sweetheart. I should have warned you I was coming back," she said with a sheepish look.

He nodded in understanding. "Is Billy okay?"

"He doesn't want to talk right now. That poor boy, he's so conflicted, being torn away from his home and his parents. With their lives hanging in the balance...I think it's just too much. Maybe you can talk to him."

"I don't know. He got pretty defensive in the car on the way to his apartment. I'll see what I can do." As he climbed the stairs, Sam wondered how to reach a kid who had been through so much and now expected him to be the same kind of monster his dad was. It was going to take time, and lots of love, to prove himself to Billy. In the end, they might lose the kids to their mom or another relative, but for Billy's sake, having his own heart broken was a risk Sam had to take.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Sam found the office door closed when he got upstairs. "Billy? Are you okay in there?"

"Yeah. Please, just leave me alone, okay?"

"Sure." A lump stuck in Sam's throat. "I'll call the hospital and see if we can get an update on your mom. Maybe we can take you to see her."

"Thanks, Mr. Axe, for everything."

"You're welcome, Billy." Sam couldn't shake the feeling that they hadn't done enough. _I just wish we could have helped their mother!_

Sam called the hospital. The voice on the other end droned, "I'm sorry, sir, but we cannot give out any information unless you're immediate family." Next, he tried calling Detective Paxson. His call went to voicemail. With a resigned sigh, Sam got back into his Saturday afternoon routine. He hated the yard work, but sometimes it was a necessary tool that allowed him time to think and regain his equilibrium. Nothing like cutting monotonous row after monotonous row of grass or pulling weeds to get his mind on other things!

Routine could be a silent killer in his line of work, or at the right place and time, a means to stability. Sam determined that the best thing for everybody was to keep things as normal as possible. Billy had no idea what a typical family life was like, because what he'd experienced was so erratic and full of abuse, hate, and uncertainty. It was no wonder he distrusted everything and everyone. After church on Sunday, they had their usual gathering with Mike and Fi's family at Maddie and Samuel's, and Billy seemed to enjoy playing with Espie, Samuel, and Lucas. Marielle and Nicole seemed content to play with all the toys Maddie spread out on a blanket in the shade. The older kids ran around, screeched, yelled, and laughed until supper, and not long after were ready to hit the sack.

Amidst yawns and protests, Sam and Yvette took them home, because Espie, Billy, and Samuel had school the next day. Nicki slept against Sam's shoulder and the three other kids formed a line across the sidewalk in front of Sam and Yvette, talking among themselves, although Espie and Billy seemed to keep Samuel out of the loop. As he watched his daughter with Billy, Sam was amazed. Two years ago this kid was harassing her on the playground and she defended herself and scared him off. Just two days ago she had him pinned to the floor. Now they walked close together, heads nearly touching as they talked about something only they knew. Billy even laughed at something she said. He hoped that she was forming a bond with him, and helping him to see that life wasn't always like it was back home. Sam unlocked the back door and let the kids inside the house.

"Okay, everybody, you know the drill. Time to get ready for bed!" Billy and Espie raced for the stairs, giggling and pushing each other with their arms. "And no running in the house!"

"Oops! Sorry, Dad!" Espie giggled again and hurried upstairs with Billy hot on her heels.

"Oh boy, I never had a clue that having two kids around that age in the house would be so..." Yvette shrugged, unable to put her thought into words.

"I know what you mean. It's only for a few weeks yet."

"It's not that I mind. I just have to get used to it, like the kids have to adapt. We'll all be fine." She smiled, but behind the expression, he saw sadness. He knew how she felt.

"Yes, we will. Let's get these two upstairs and to bed."

After the kids were tucked away for the night, Sam was about to try Paxson again when he checked his voicemail. She left him a simple message: Diana Fuller was going to make it, but she needed time to recover, and Stephen was still hanging by a thread. DSS wanted the Axes to keep the kids until Mrs. Fuller was ready to take care of them herself. As he dropped into bed, Sam hoped that wouldn't be for awhile yet, because the kids were just starting to adapt and seemed to be happy in his house. He didn't want them to go back to what they'd known before. Yet he knew it was inevitable. Somehow, he had to make things so that when they returned to their old life, it wouldn't be so bleak. He just didn't know how to make that happen, and that frustrated him.

On Monday, Sam walked the kids to school. They arrived early, because he wanted to speak with Billy and Espie's teacher about the boy. He hadn't had much of a chance to talk on Friday, but now he hoped he might get some insight, something he didn't already know after seeing his home and living with him over the course of two days. He sent the kids to the playground while he continued inside the building. He found Mrs. Gannon alone in the classroom preparing the board.

Sam knocked on the door frame, and the teacher turned. "Mr. Axe! Hello! Come in."

He approached her with a friendly smile. "Hi, Mrs. Gannon. I, uh, don't know if you heard about what happened after the incident on Friday after school."

"No. I know you left with Billy and his sister, but that's about it." She swiped the chalk off her hands and faced him. "How's it going?"

"We were given temporary custody of both kids. Their dad, well, it doesn't sound like he's going to make it. Their mom was found, but it's going to be awhile before she can take them back, so until then, they're staying with us."

Mrs. Gannon smiled. "I think that's the best thing that could have happened to them. Just seeing how Espie does in my class, and I've heard from other teachers how hard you worked with her, well, I wish we had more parents like you, Mr. Axe."

"Thanks. I just want them to grow up equipped to handle the world, that's all. In my line of work, intelligence, and I'm not just talking about smarts," he said as he tapped his temple, " knowledge is a powerful thing."

"I hope that Billy is with you long enough to strip away the walls he's got built up around him. Right now he's failing just about every subject, and he acts up in class and on the playground. I'm afraid he's not going to advance to the next grade if he keeps it up."

Sam regarded the flush of her cheeks and her passionate tone. "I agree completely. I just wanted to give you a heads up that they're staying with us, so if he gives you any trouble, let me know. I'll treat him just like my own kids when they misbehave."

"Just be careful with him."

Sam knew what she meant. "He's been abused, I know that. I have other methods for discipline that work better than whacking a kid. At least they work with Espie and Samuel. The last thing I want to do is use physical punishment with him because that's just going to perpetuate the distrust."

She smiled. "Sounds like you've got it all figured out. I wish you luck, Mr. Axe."

"Thanks." He paused. "I was hoping you could give me more background on him."

She shook her head. "Not really. I know his dad seems to be in trouble a lot, and his mom, I don't know about her. Neither of them attends parent teacher conferences or PTA or anything. But then, that's not new. Lots of parents don't get involved. I just don't see the extreme issues with the other kids that I see with Billy."

"Yeah. Well, thanks anyway. I was hoping to get something that would help me reach him. Please, keep me posted if anything happens here at school."

"I will."

Sam left the classroom, and he knew that in his wake he left a dumbfounded teacher. Despite his work limiting his attendance to PTA meetings, he managed to make every parent/teacher conference and took an active interest in what happened at school. He knew that wasn't the norm. A lot of parents felt it was the school's responsibility to make sure their kids learned and they didn't have to lift a finger in their child's education. He didn't work that way, and his kids reaped the rewards. Sam knew he had an uphill battle with Billy, and that it was very possible he might break through and change the kid's life, only to have him return to his old ways when he went back to his home. But maybe that little spark of what could be might turn into the catalyst that continued to create a turnaround. He could only hope.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Sam was about to find out just how difficult it would be to tame Billy. The kids came home from school a couple days later while Sam was preparing for a stakeout with Jack. Billy stomped up the front steps and stormed through the front door, not stopping for anything until he slammed the office door behind him.

"Espie, where's Samuel?"

"He's coming, Dad. Billy was mean to him. Then he pulled my hair and ran off, and I chased him here."

"You left your brother to walk home alone?" He held her by the arms. "What were you thinking?"

Espie didn't see the terror in her father's eyes very often. She cringed. "I'm sorry, Dad. I'll...I'll go get him."

"You do that." He had a way of saying something so coolly, but with so much more behind it. He released her and she flew out the door, discarding her book bag on the vestibule floor. Fortunately she didn't have to go far, although Sam did send her back on the route to find his pack. She returned slightly out of breath and dropped it next to hers. "He left it where Billy and I had our fight, and he musta ran after us, but he couldn't keep up." She took a breath and added with a contrite look, "I'm sorry, Dad. It was stupid, and I won't let Billy get me riled up like that again."

Sam smiled at her. "At least you'll try not to, am I right? I don't want to have to extend your grounding." He knew his daughter. She didn't back down from confrontation with her peers. Espie gave him a frown.

"Sam, supper is just about ready. Will you go upstairs and see if you can get Billy to come down?"

"Sure. He and I need to have a little talk anyway." Sam climbed the stairs and stepped over to the office door. He knocked firmly. "Billy? May I come in?"

"No! Go away!"

"Come on, I just want to talk. That's all." He tried the door, but it was locked. Sam could pick it in two seconds, but it would only add to the wall of distrust that surrounded Billy. He sighed and said, "Supper is ready. Please, come out and join us."

They waited a few minutes, but he didn't appear. "Okay, we'll start without him, and if he's hungry later, no snacks." He glanced at Yvette to see if she would back him.

She nodded. "I agree. It's a shame about his family situation, but there's no reason to take it out on other people or be rude and not come down when asked. He has to learn."

Before the kids got to their homework, Sam took Esperanza aside and asked, "Do you know what set Billy off today?"

"There were some bigger kids at school giving him a hard time. They followed us for a little while on the way home, calling his dad a stoner and some other mean names." She paused and took a breath. "He wanted to fight them, but I told him it was no use. They were too big. They were like middle school kids, but they're in the sixth grade." She blinked away tears forming in her eyes. "Daddy, I wanted to help him, so I got him away from them. Then he got mad at me for making him look like a sissie."

"It's okay, honey, you did the right thing," Sam spoke tenderly as he held her. "Billy just has to learn that you can't always fight your battles with fists."

She nodded against his shoulder. "He said he was gonna get them back. I'm afraid he's going to get hurt, Daddy."

"You really care about him, don't you." He held her away from himself so he could see her face as she swiped away some tears. He smoothed her hair and smiled when she answered him.

"He's not always a bad boy, Dad. He's just got too much hate inside him."

"I know, punkin. Maybe we can work on that while he's here and hope it'll change him. Can I count on you to help?"

"I'd do anything to make him nicer, Dad. It makes dealing with him in class a whole lot easier!"

Sam laughed and hugged her. "I can imagine it does. You go get your stuff and start doing your homework, okay? I'll see if I can get Billy to come down and work on his assignments too." He knocked on the door, listening for sounds on the other side. It was quiet. "Billy? Billy, are you okay?" He wished he'd thought about disabling the door lock before they settled him into the room, but Sam hadn't given it a thought until now. He pounded on the door, hoping that if he'd gone to sleep, Billy would hear and wake up. Still nothing.

_Okay, enough of this. I'm going in._ Sam pulled out his tools, and in a matter of seconds had the door unlocked. He stepped into the room and found it dark. He turned on the light, and the stark overhead light showed that the room was empty. The window sash was pushed up and the screen set to the side. A rappelling rope that Sam had stored in the closet hung out of it, tied to a sturdy desk leg. He leaned out the window and saw the end pooling on the ground, but no sign of Billy. Sam glanced toward the street. _Where's a cop when you need one?_ Their protection left the day before when Benny's gang had all been rounded up and the threat to their lives neutralized.

Sam's feet pounded across the room and down the stairs as he got on the phone. "Jack, it's Sam. We need to postpone our stakeout. I need your help finding Billy. He took off!"

He passed the kids at the table, and they gaped at him. Yvette raised her head from Samuel's work and asked, "Sam, what's going on?"

He held up a hand to quiet her. He was on a conference call now. "I'm going to head north from our house, and Jack, you go east. I'll call my dad and see if he can go west. Mike, can you head south?" He nodded. "Alright then, let's find this kid before something happens." He hung up the phone and dialed again. "Dad, it's me. I need your help finding Billy."

It took only a few minutes to organize the search party, but they had a lot of real estate to cover. The neighborhood had a lot of alleys choked with overhanging vegetation that made easy hiding places, or he could duck into a yard and wait out his pursuers.

"I'll be back when we find Billy." Without another word, he was gone, leaving behind two wide eyed kids and a wife with worry etched into her brow.

He was on his way to his car when the phone rang. "Sam, it's me."

"Mike. Any luck?"

"No. I went to the school, but he's not here. Not that I really expected him to be, but it's a place he knows. Where else would he be likely to go?"

"Oh...home. Maybe he went home, Mike. I'll head there and see if I find him along the way."

"That's a bit of a hike for a kid," Michael said.

"Yeah, I know, and in the dark. Mike, he was wearing dark clothes, so he'll be hard to see." Sam searched along the street as he drove slowly. "I'd be surprised if he made it there, but I'll try it and see if he shows up. Maybe I'll find him along the way."

"I hope so, Sam. That part of town is not a good place for a kid to be all alone in the dark."

"You don't have to remind me. I'll talk to you later." He wanted to keep his concentration on the area around him as he drove his car at a crawl up the street. He spotted a squad car and flagged down the officer driving. "Hey, have you seen a kid running around here, about ten years old, blonde hair, wearing dark clothes?"

"Nope, haven't seen a thing. It's been pretty quiet tonight. Is he your kid?"

Sam shook his head. "Foster kid. He ran away and now my friends and I are trying to find him."

"What's his name?"

"Billy Fuller."

Sam could see that the last name rang a bell with the officers as they looked at him. "We'll keep an eye out for the kid. Do you have a way we can contact you?"

"Sure." He reached into the glove compartment and handed him a business card. "Thanks for the assistance. If you find him, we just want to take him home, okay? He's just a frightened kid, his parents are in dire straits, and we're trying to help him. No need to report this to DSS." He gave the cop a meaningful glance. He was pleased when the man nodded in understanding. "Great. You have a safe night."

"Thanks. You too!"

As Sam neared Billy's apartment, the street got seedier and seedier. Scantily clad women hung out on the corners with men who looked as if they spent their days sleeping and their nights partying. They gave the guy in the sedan a long wary glance as he passed by slowly. Some of them thought he might be business; others thought he was game. Sam was ready for them. He arrived at Billy's and didn't see any sign of him. The apartment was dark, but that didn't mean the kid wasn't there. He had to get out of the car and look, so he did a u-turn, came back, and parked in front.

"Mike, I'm at Billy's apartment and I'm going in. I didn't see him anywhere on the streets."

"Be careful, Sam."  
>"I will."<p>

He got out, locked up the car, and carried a handgun at his side. The glint of metal caused one curious fellow to back off and stare at Sam. He climbed the stairs to the second floor without interruption and made it to the door. It was closed, locked, and police tape had been across the threshold, but someone broke it. He picked the lock quietly, not wanting to spook Billy if he was there. Locking the door behind him, Sam checked the apartment and found Billy's room empty, as well as Nicki's, but when he entered the parents' room, he found Billy crashed on the bed sound asleep. His body was curled around a pillow like a security blanket. In the dim light coming from the street, the boy looked so vulnerable and sad, his heart went out to him and he carefully sat beside him and stroked his hair.

Billy sat up quickly, breath heaving as if he'd run a mile full speed, his head swiveling around to Sam. "What...what are you doing here!"

"We were worried about you. My dad and my friends, we're all out looking for you."

Billy shook his head. "You didn't have to bother."

"Yes, we did. I know you don't get the idea, but people really do care about you, Billy. In the short time you've been with us, we've even started to love you. So when you took off tonight without telling anybody, we got really scared."

"I didn't ask for you to love me, so just let me be!" He buried himself under the covers, as if that would make Sam go away. It didn't work.

Sam just sat there and touched his back through the covers. Billy squirmed away, but he ran into the edge of the narrow bed. Sam touched the button on his earpiece and said, "Mike, I found him. He's at home. Yeah, thanks for the help. I'll see you guys tomorrow, okay? Uh huh. No, I'm good. 'Bye." He sighed when he realized that Billy was asleep. The kid wore himself out getting there, and no amount of stubborn could keep him awake.

His earpiece beeped, and Sam answered. "Yeah, Jack. I'm at Billy's apartment. I should have known he'd come right here. Sorry to have bothered you with this. But now I guess you're on your own tonight at the stakeout. I'm going to call Eve and tell her I'm staying here with him, since he seems to be sleeping so well, I don't really want to move him." While he talked to Jack, he had moved out of the room so he didn't disturb Billy. He was unaware that Billy was really awake and heard every word from Sam's side of the conversation. "Yeah, I know it's not the best neighborhood and I might wake up to find my car gone, but it's a risk I'm willing to take. The kid needs a little self security, and if being here one night gives him that, I'm all for it. I might not get any sleep, but well, that's life. I can sleep tomorrow when he's at school." Sam laughed at something Jack said and wished him a good night.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Billy slammed his eyes shut when he heard Mr. Axe's footsteps coming back into the room. He pretended to be asleep; he'd done it so many times before, he was good at it. The man bent over him and Billy could sense his eyes studying him. Then he touched Billy again, his hand making contact with his arm, and he was gone. The bedroom door creaked, but it didn't close all the way. A shaft of light came through, followed by the sound of shuffling. He heard Mr. Axe on the phone again, and then there was nothing for a little while. Billy rolled onto his back to better hear. It sounded like Mr. Axe was straightening up in the living room. The guy was too good to be true. Billy had never known anyone who treated his wife and kids the way he did. He couldn't even put a finger on what it was; if he'd been able to, he would have realized that Sam Axe loved his family and that his love showed in everything he did for them. The idea that he could extend that love to a total stranger...Billy never experienced anything like it, and it scared him.

Eventually, the light went out and things settled down in the living room. He heard Mr. Axe sigh, and the couch settled. The guy was staking out a spot right by the door so Billy couldn't run again. He resented him for that, keeping him a prisoner in his own home. But he fell asleep feeling safe and secure in the apartment, something he was unaccustomed to in that place.

He should have known it would never last. In the wee hours of the morning, Billy woke up to the sound of splintering wood and yelling. He put his eye to the crack in the doorway, but he couldn't see anything down the short hall, so he opened the door and moved toward the living room. Three men were beating up on Mr. Axe. He watched as he took one of the men down. Another one got a choke hold on him and Mr. Axe flipped him over onto his back, briefly stunning him. The third one grabbed Mr. Axe and got him down on the floor and started punching him.

Suddenly, no matter how he felt about his own situation or the man who tried to help him, Billy knew he had to act. He ran back to the bedroom. He knew where his dad kept a gun. Firing it was an entirely different matter, but maybe all he had to do was scare them off with the threat of shooting them. He'd seen it on TV dozens of times. He knew how to do it.

"Stop right there, or I'll shoot," Billy said in a jittery voice while trying to sound confident. The gun shook in his hand, so he tried to steady it with his other one and leaned against the corner.

The men stopped and turned to him. The light spilling from the corridor allowed him to see their faces. They were some of the men who gave his dad stuff to sell.

"Aw, isn't that cute? Kid thinks he's a big guy."

"Come on, Billy. You can't handle it. Give me that gun, and everything'll be cool."

"No." Billy's voice shook even more as he pulled the hammer back. "Get out, now. I mean it!" Mr. Axe groaned and rolled onto his back on the floor, forgotten by his attackers, and Billy's gut tightened.

One of them made the mistake of taking a step forward, and the gun went off with a loud bang. The man's grinning face quickly turned to one of shock as he collapsed onto the floor. The others, seeing what Billy had done, stood still. They grabbed Mr. Axe and held him up between them, like they were thinking of taking him away. Billy wasn't going to let that happen, even if he had to kill them too. He owed Mr. Axe that much.

"Kid, you better put that gun down before you hurt anyone else. Like this guy!"

"I'm not aiming at him." Billy squinted and held the gun steady, right at his intended target.

The other guy dropped his hold on Mr. Axe, then he lunged at Billy. He grabbed for the gun, and Billy tried, but he couldn't hold on. The gun went off again, but the man was a lot stronger, and he wrenched it out of Billy's grasp. It felt like something twisted in his wrist, but he ignored the brief pain.

They heard sirens in the distance, getting louder. The ones who had held Mr. Axe took off without a scratch on them, leaving the third man face down bleeding all over the carpet. Mr. Axe lay on his back on the floor, breathing heavily. Billy quickly recovered and scrambled across the filthy floor to him. The side of his guardian's shirt was stained with a growing red splotch.

A wail came out of Billy and increased in volume as he panicked. _What did I do? I shot him! Oh no, I've gotta get out of here now! Can't let the cops get me!_

"Billy." His name came out of Mr. Axe's mouth in a whisper. The man got a tentative hold on Billy's arm, but he was so scared, he ripped himself away from Mr. Axe's grip. "No. Billy. Don't...don't run."

But he didn't hear him, because he was already hurrying to get to his feet. He knew a back way out of the apartment building. It let out into the alley, and it was usually pretty scary back there at night, but it didn't matter now. He would be out of there soon.

"Billy!" He heard someone yelling, but it wasn't Mr. Axe. He wasn't about to stick around and find out who it was. Maybe it was the cops. Or maybe it was those guys coming back to finish him off. All he knew was he had to make a break for it. He was a suspect now, and Billy was well-versed in what happened to wanted men. He threw himself down the back stairs and tumbled out into the dark alley. He heard a thump near the dumpster, and the sound of his breath running like a freight train. His heart felt like it would beat right out of his chest. _I think I'm gonna have a heart attack! Can little kids have heart attacks? _

Billy heard car doors slamming out front. _Gotta get out of this alley before they close it off!_ He ran and took cover down another alley just as a police cruiser turned in on the opposite end. He let his feet carry him away from the apartment, his neighborhood, and everything he knew. He didn't quit running until he couldn't breathe anymore. He was safe, or so he thought. He looked around and didn't recognize anything. With a sinking feeling, he realized that now he was really lost. Nothing looked familiar, but at least he appeared to be in a better looking area. The sky was starting to lighten in the east, so he decided to head in that direction. Once he got to the beach he could get his bearings, settle on the warm sand, and think this through. He had to figure out what to do next.

Strangely enough, he wished that Mr. Axe were there. Billy had a feeling that he would have all the answers. Deep down, he figured the guy would tell him to turn himself in to the cops. But he murdered someone, and maybe killed Mr. Axe too. He didn't mean to. It was an accident! If that guy hadn't wrestled the gun away from him, it wouldn't have gone off like that. _Maybe he's okay. Maybe he's still alive, but that doesn't make up for killing that other guy. If only I could go back and try to get help! If they're dead, the cops'll throw me in jail and lose the key forever. Until I know what happened, I can't get caught._

The beach was deserted at this early hour. Billy decided he better keep moving down the side streets, where he was less likely to be spotted by the police. Keep moving until he could find a good hideout and stay there for however long it took for this to blow over. He was so tired, but he had to keep moving. By the time the sun began its ascent over the ocean, he found himself ducking into an abandoned house near his neighborhood. It was stupid to double back, but he felt more secure being in an area that he knew. No one would find him in the house. He tucked himself away into a dark closet, wedged a piece of flooring in the crack between the door and the frame, and it became as safe and secure as anywhere else he could be at the moment. Billy pressed his back into the corner, drew his legs up to rest his chin on his knees, and closed his eyes. He would rest for a little while, and then he would keep going. He thought that maybe he could somehow get some cash and hop on a bus, get out of Miami, and start over somewhere else. _But I'm just a kid. How do I make that happen? By the time I get the money, the cops'll probably have my picture all over. Someone will see me._

Billy dozed for awhile, but he woke up when the air became stifling in the closet. He pulled the piece of wood out and cautiously opened the door. It was dark! He dared to move out into what must have been a bedroom at one time. The windows had no blinds or curtains, so he could see outside. He slept a lot longer than he thought. It was night again. _Perfect! Time to get moving! Only this time I'll go to the beach, find the marina, and maybe I can steal a boat and get away. No money needed._ No one could ever accuse him of not being a smart kid. He had a lot of good plans. The question was whether he could make them work.

Getting to the marina wasn't as easy as he would have thought. It was dark alright, but still early enough for people to be about. He had to blend in and pretend that a nine year old walking alone at that time of night along the beach was perfectly normal. He gave people friendly smiles and nodded, and he decided that if anyone asked what he was doing out there, he would tell them he was going to the marina to get on his parents' boat. After that, things were fuzzy again with his plan. Fortunately for him, no one asked and he made it to the marina on his own.

It was easy enough to find a small boat. Billy avoided the bigger yachts and cruisers. Instead, he found a small fishing boat that the owner had been negligent enough to leave the key in the ignition. Billy grinned and pumped his fists in the air. Finally, something was going his way! Voices startled him, and he ducked down until a couple passed on their way to a yacht nearby. They boarded it, some lights went on, and they disappeared below deck. Billy breathed a sigh of relief. _Now's my chance._ He untied the boat, turned the key, and quickly figured out how to work the throttle. He'd never steered anything besides a fake car on a video game at the arcade one time, but he figured he could master this. Getting out of the slip, he banged the boat against it several times, but eventually it freed itself from the confines and he was moving toward the open water.

"You're crazy. You should just go back," Billy muttered to himself. "No. There's no turning back now. If Mr. Axe is dead, nothing that happens to me now could be any worse than having to face Mrs. Axe, Espie, Samuel, and the rest of his family and friends." Tears clouded his vision and he shook his head violently to clear them. Then he sniffled. "No, I can't do it. I can't go back. It's too late!"

Billy had no idea where he was going. He got out on the ocean a little ways, but the idea of being out on that great expanse without direction, in the dark, terrified him. He kept his speed slow and cruised along the coast, far enough out to remain unnoticed, but close enough to see people along the shoreline. He saw the opening of a river and decided to go in. He'd had enough of the ocean. It scared him too much. The river twisted and turned and he realized it was crazy to continue, because he was getting back into the city. On the left side, he saw a small park. He could pull up there and maybe hide in a restroom or something for awhile until he could figure out what to do next. To the right, a line of boats bobbed on the slight waves from his wake, moored up to a boardwalk. It was a lot easier to pull in there, so Billy decided to do it.

He got out of the boat and climbed up a small set of stairs to ground level. He heard thumping and realized it was music. He didn't dare get too close, but he hovered near enough to see a nightclub. It was an awfully strange place for a club in an old warehouse. Neon lights flickered through the large windows. A line of people waited in front of a corrugated metal fence that rose at least twelve feet in the air. Neon tubes placed on the side of it lent a swanky vibe to the place, and Billy couldn't help but stare at the women and men who waited there. The women wore dresses that were more like strips of cloth than a real dress, and the guys wore suits that fit their slim bodies like a glove. They talked, laughed, and bopped to the hard beat that bled outside, oblivious to one little boy.

_This isn't getting me anywhere! I have to keep moving! But where now?_ He passed the building and came upon a corner. He looked around, not sure which way to go. _Maybe I should go back out on the ocean, see if I can find an island where no one would find me. _He turned back to the club. Upstairs, he saw a light on and people were up there. Billy blinked. _No, it can't be him. It's my imagination!_ Goosebumps covered his flesh. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought that the silhouette near the window was the profile of Mr. Axe. But it couldn't be him. _I killed him! And besides, what would he be doing here?_ A sob wrenched up from his insides. Billy clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle it. He quickly turned away and ran back to the corner, then turned left. He would keep on running until he had another bright idea, or it killed him, because there was certainly no going back. He was no better than his father now. If he thought he saw Mr. Axe, it was because his conscience was bothering him. _Maybe if I go fast enough, I'll outrun it and I won't see him anymore._ He had a feeling it wasn't quite that easy, but he was willing to try.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_20 hours earlier_

It was a fluke that the wild shot hit Sam in the side. He tried to call out to Billy, to make him turn around, but the kid must have been so focused on getting away that he didn't hear him. He rose up on one elbow, hoping he could regain his feet to try and stop him. The flesh just below his ribs burned and pain forced him to sink back down to the floor to wait for the police to show up. But Michael came before the cops did, and he was never so happy to see him as he was at that moment.

"Sam!" He got down on one knee beside his friend. "What happened?"

"Never mind. We've gotta find Billy." He tried to get up, but Michael held him down. "Come on, Mike, he's out there somewhere!"

"You've been shot!"

"So what? Just grab a towel from the bathroom. It's just a flesh wound, for crying out loud. Looks worse than it is."

Michael ran to the bathroom and returned with two towels, one wet to clean the wound, and the other to patch it up. "Okay, this might hurt a bit."

When the towel made contact with his bare skin, Sam sucked in a breath, and his words came out strained. "Yeah, tell me something I don't know." He gritted his teeth while Michael cleaned the wound and pressed the dry towel into his side. Michael noted that it really wasn't that bad, a little more than a nick, but it bled a lot and would need stitches. Sam held it in place and sat up carefully, leaning against the couch.

"You should really get that looked at."

"No time. Who knows how far Billy's gone while you've been playing nursemaid. Come on, let's go!" His side felt like it was on fire, but he ignored it. Billy was his main concern. Until he found him, he would keep pressing on with an almost maniacal obsession.

With Michael's help he got out of the apartment and downstairs. Jack stood leaning against Michael's car, keeping watch over both vehicles, and when he saw Sam tipped against Michael for support, he stood and came forward. "Axeman, what happened?"

Sam settled himself on his own two feet, pulled his keys out of his pocket, and tossed them at Jack. "Just shut up and drive my car around the neighborhood. We've gotta find Billy."

Michael drove the Charger with Sam in the passenger seat. Now and then, he glanced at him to see how he was doing. "Hey, are you sure you don't want to take a break and get stitched up? Fi can take care of it..."

"No, Mike. I have to...we...we have to find Billy."

"And then what? Sam, what if he runs? You're in no condition to go chasing after him."

"I'm fine, Mike. Just fine." Sam's voice sounded weak.

In the dawning light, Michael could see that Sam was not fine. He got on his phone. "Jack, any luck?"

"None, Mike. I called Samuel, and he's still looking too. I think now that it's getting light the kid probably found a place to hole up until nightfall again."

"He's nine years old, Jack. Not too many kids his age would be that smart."

"I was. I ran away a couple of times." Jack let out a huff. "Why do you think I joined the Navy as soon as I could get out of the house?" He paused. "Anyway, my money is on him hiding out until dark. I think we should suspend our search and go home and get some rest. We'll take it up again tonight. In the meantime, the cops will have their eyes peeled for him."

"Yeah, you're right. Sam looks like he's sleeping. He's had a rough night." Michael looked at his friend intently as he waited on a light to turn green. "I'm taking him home by me and let Fi fix him up."

"I'll call Yvette to let her know he's okay."

"Thanks, Jack. We'll get started again after dark."

"Sounds good, Mike. Rest up. I've got a feeling it's going to be another long night."

With Sergei's help, Michael got Sam upstairs and laid him on the bed that hadn't been slept in. Fiona spent the night pacing, worried about Michael, Sam, and Billy. She eventually crashed on the couch until the kids woke her, and she was still dressed in the same clothes she had on the day before. She was feeding them when Michael and Sergei dragged Sam inside.

"What...Michael, what happened to Sam?" She followed them with wide eyes and stood at the foot of the bed when they dropped him gently upon it. Sam's only reaction was a soft exhalation and a groan.

"I don't know, Fi. I just showed up at Billy's apartment to find a guy bleeding out on the floor, and Sam lying close to him. His side was bleeding, but it's not serious. He just needs a little stitching up. We spent hours driving all over trying to find Billy." Michael shook his head, worry haunting his eyes. "This is a big city, and that kid is running around on his own. Fi, can you look after Sam?"

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm gonna call Phil. We could use another special ops guy to help us find Billy."

Fiona cleaned Sam's wound and stitched up his side while Lucas and Marielle played together. She was proud of her children. Even at such a young age, Lucas seemed to have an instinct for when it was time for him to keep his sister and himself out of the way. Maybe having so many strategy sessions at the loft caused some of it to rub off on him. She wasn't sure. All Fiona knew was that it was a good thing they stayed away. Like a typical flesh wound, it wasn't a very pretty sight.

Sam slept through it all. Fiona figured that he must have been exhausted, especially after trying to stay alert post-gunshot. She'd been there before, and it wasn't easy. She lifted up a silent prayer hoping that Billy would stay safe and come home soon. A lot of people loved him, even though they knew he would only be around for a short time in their lives. They were all worried, and as a mother, it struck Fiona especially close to home. If Lucas ever ran away, she would be devastated.

Phil arrived at the loft and Fiona had breakfast waiting for him and Michael. The ex-Special Forces covert op friend of Michael's glanced over at the bed and noticed Sam was out cold. "He looks like hell, Mike. Then again, he never did look like he was all together," he cracked.

"I didn't ask you here to insult my best friend," Michael replied coldly as he sat at the table and offered him a place. "We need to figure out a strategy for finding Billy, Sam's foster kid."

"Sorry." Nodding thanks to Fiona for the plate of food and a cup of fresh coffee, Phil got down to business. "I don't have any of my own, but I like kids. It gets me in the gut to know this little guy is out there on his own." He studied a map that lay on the surface and traced his finger around a circle. "Is this where he lives?"

"When he's not at Sam's, which is down here." Michael tapped a spot marked with a square.

"I can't believe he got that far in a night! That's gotta be like three or four klicks."

"If he ran, he could cover a lot of ground fast. Whatever the case, he was there and Sam found him around midnight. Not long after that, he must have been on the move again, so who knows which way he went or how far." Michael took a sip of his coffee. "He probably panicked when he thought he killed Sam."

"So he likely wound up somewhere that he's unfamiliar with and is now really lost." Phil sighed and ran a hand through his closely cropped red hair. "Mike, I think you're better off letting the cops handle this. They've got more manpower than we do. They can find him."

"But if he thinks he murdered people, he's not going to make himself easily visible. He may even look for extreme ways to disappear." Michael fell silent, thinking about all the times he ran away from home. He always returned, and most times no one even knew he was gone. What kept him from disappearing was his mother. It would have killed her if he left with no warning and no intention to return, all because of his father. He just waited until he was older and left her in the lurch for ten years while he was on covert operations, forced to go off grid away from everyone he loved. Unfortunately, the effect was the same, and when he came home Maddie harbored a lot of anger for it.

Phil said. "One time I ran away, I followed the river to the ocean, and then I thought about trying to steal a boat and go to the Bahamas. And this was when my folks and I lived in Virginia." He grinned at the silly notion. "I followed the river, but I was too scared to try to steal a boat parked along the shore. I eventually just went home and mentally beat myself up for a week for being such a coward."

"So you think we should check out the marinas," Michael said.

"Yeah. Look, I don't know this kid at all, but we're near water, lots of it. That tends to make kids think that this big old ocean is a great escape for whatever is troubling them." He paused and his eyes locked on Michael's. "At least, it did for me."

"Okay. I'm going to call Samuel and Jesse and with the four of us, we can easily cover them all in a day."

Armed with some photographs Yvette supplied them, the four men split up and searched the marinas. They met at Carlito's late in the afternoon with nothing to show for their efforts except for sweat stained shirts, sunburn, and tired legs.

"It was a great idea, Phil, but either the kid slipped out under cover of darkness, or we're a step ahead of him," Jesse said as he kept his eyes roving, looking through the crowds of tourists in the vain hope of seeing a little blonde headed kid with a lost look on his face.

"I wonder if we should stake out some of the places with smaller boats, wait until tonight," Jack suggested as he drained his mojito glass. It went down too good, and he knew he should pace himself. "Hey honey, I'll have another one of those, with a glass of water."

"You got it. Anybody else?"

"Hey, have you seen this kid around?" Jesse held up the picture he had in his possession.

The woman squinted a little as she looked at it from across the table. Then she shook her head. "Sorry, I don't think I've seen him. Then again, there are lots of kids in this area with the beach and all, and, well, they don't just walk in here and order drinks, you know? Sorry I can't help you guys."

"Thanks anyway." Michael rubbed his eyes as he tried to think like a young kid again. "I think you're right, Jesse. He's probably laying low right now, waiting for dark, but we still don't know what he's going to do after that."

"My money's still on the boat." Phil tapped his beer bottle.

"That, or he finds a place he can rob some cash and get away," Jesse added.

"Did you ever run away from home, Jess?"

Jesse smiled and shook his head. "I guess I was kind of a geek like that. I loved my parents, they were great, and I never had any beef with them that would make me want to take off." He paused and his smile widened. "Besides, my old man would have ripped me a new one if I did. Then I'd have a reason to run!"

Their laughter eased the tension at the table. They decided to split up, go home and get some dinner, and try the marinas again after dark.

"Maybe I'll bring Maddie along and she can take one," Samuel volunteered.

Michael nodded. This wasn't a dangerous mission, so he was okay with his mom helping. "If it weren't for the kids, I know Fi would be game, and if Yvette got wind of our plan, I don't think anyone could keep her away."

"I'll call Sash and see if she'll watch all the kids tonight. Then we'll have Fi and Yvette, and with Maddie, maybe if Sam's up to it, that's a potential of having eight pairs of eyes. We can cover a lot of marinas up and down the coast."

"Okay." Michael nodded. "Let's do it."

Sam awoke sometime during the morning and found it hard to sit up. He was shirtless and his side heavily bandaged. He stared at the high ceiling and let his eyes focus, then he looked around when he heard sounds of movement. He was in the loft, but not sure how he got there. The last thing he remembered was sitting in the Charger, Mike driving them in ever widening circles, trying to find Billy. Soft breathing got his attention.

"Billy?" He turned his head and found Lucas standing beside the bed grinning at him.

"Uncle Sam," he said cheerfully. "You awake now?"

Sam smiled and reached out to snag him into a hug, despite the pain in his side. "Yeah, I'm awake, kiddo."

"Sam...how are you feeling?"

Emotion stuck in his throat as he heard Yvette's voice. He let Lucas go and he focused on his wife standing at the foot of the bed with Fiona. She held Nicki, and Marielle clung to Fiona's leg as they studied him.

"I'm fine, honey. It's nothing, really!" He rolled to his left and got into a half sitting position, leaning his weight on his elbow. The room spun for a moment.

"Sam, it may have seemed like nothing, but you lost a good amount of blood," Fiona said as she disengaged herself from her daughter's grip and came to help him sit up.

Yvette dropped onto the bed and sat at his left side, her free arm going around his shoulders as she fought to keep from turning into a blubbering mess. Sam encircled her with his arm and kissed her. Fiona took Nicki away from her and left them alone.

"Come on Lucas, Mari, let's leave Uncle Sam and Aunt Yvette alone for awhile." The door closed softly behind them.

Despite what Sam may have thought about his injury, it didn't take much time before he felt he had to lay down, so he took Yvette with him. It felt so good to just be with her holding onto him as if she'd never let go. Yet he couldn't help but think about Billy. _Dear God, where is that boy? I hope he's safe. I never should have kept him there at the apartment, I should have taken him right home!_ The trouble was that, for Billy, he was home, and look what happened to him there. Sam felt even more determined that when Billy was found safe, they would do everything they could to make sure that he never had to go back to that place again.

By midnight, they'd given up much hope of finding Billy at any of the marinas. They all went home and decided to try again tomorrow, scouring the city. Michael called Paxson, but she had no news either. The kid just disappeared into thin air. Michael returned to the loft and was pleased to see Sam up and around. Unfortunately, he'd been unable to work the stakeout, but maybe the next night he could join them.

"No luck, huh Mike?'

"None." He sighed heavily and reached into the fridge for a yogurt.

Fiona arrived shortly after Michael and walked across the wood floor to rest her elbows on the bar. Michael handed her his yogurt and went for another one. While he had the door open, he asked, "Sam?"

"No thanks, Mike. I had a couple already today." He leaned his crossed forearms on the bar and studied the surface. "Irina called me this afternoon." He glanced up at them. "Needless to say, she was pretty angry. I'm afraid that if we don't find Billy soon, she's going to take Nicki away, along with our license, and we'll never be able to house any more foster kids again."

Michael stared at him. "You really want to do this to yourself again, Sam? Seriously? Maybe it's better if..."

"You bet we do," Yvette said forcefully as she entered the loft and shut the door behind her. "If we've learned anything from this, it's that there are a lot of kids out there who are hurting and need our help. As hard as it is knowing it's only temporary, maybe we can be a good influence on them during the short time they're in our home." She stopped and rubbed her hand across Sam's shoulders.

Fiona smiled. "Isn't love grand?"

Yvette replied, her eyes tearing up. "I just wish we could have gotten through to Billy. He needs love so desperately!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Billy was feeling anything but love as he nursed a stitch in his side and an ache in his gut. He'd been on the run all night, with no means for obtaining food and liquids, so he resorted to desperate measures. The soda and hot dog he stole from a ledge, while the guy who put them there tended to an untied shoelace, could only get him so far. He scrounged around in restaurant dumpsters, but everything he found was disgusting.

"I wonder what the Axe's are having for breakfast this morning," he mumbled to himself as he threw away what looked like an empty lobster tail. It reeked so bad, his stomach lurched and he gagged. He clamped a hand over his mouth and put as much distance between that smell and himself, but for a long time he still sensed the putrid odor in his nostrils. It clung to his hands until he was able to wash them in a fountain, but traces of it lingered. Finally, he found some relief in the bathroom at a service station. It was closed, but he was in luck; the bathroom lock was broken and he was able to get inside. The anti-bacterial soap made his hands clean, but it would never wash away the guilt of what he'd done.

A wave of sadness and regret washed over him as he thought about Mr. Axe. If something happened to Billy, no one would care. But Mr. Axe...people liked and loved him. The thought of his wife Yvette breaking down crept into his mind. He imagined Espie's tears, ten, maybe a hundred, times worst than that day Mr. Axe grounded her from skating practice. Little Samuel wouldn't know what to make of the situation. By the time he thought about Michael, Fiona, Samuel and Maddie, not to mention Mr. Axe's other friends, he was a wreck. Billy found a tree he could climb in a park, still in the deep shadows of early dawn. He lifted himself up onto a large crook and the desire to weep so hard for anyone other than his mother was something he'd never experienced before. Billy wrapped his arms around the thick branch and wished it was Mrs. Axe.

"I'm sorry," he blubbered. "I'm sorry I killed him. I didn't mean to, Mrs. Axe. Really!"

The sky was lightening when Billy finally spent his tears. He climbed down out of the tree, swiped at his eyes, and decided he needed to keep moving. This was the second morning since his escape, and he was so tired, starving, and dying of thirst, he didn't think he could go on much longer. He entered an alley, dropped to the asphalt, and leaned against the back of a restaurant. The screen door was open, and even though it was early, the kitchen staff was already inside preparing dishes for the day. He heard them rattling pots and pans and speaking Spanish. If he was careful, maybe he could sneak inside, grab a bite and something to drink, and be on his way before anyone saw him.

Billy stood and slid along the wall until he could see inside the kitchen without being seen. The shadows in the alley were his friend. A woman was cutting chicken breasts and placing the pieces into a large baking pan. He was smart enough not to grab raw chicken, and besides, he wasn't sure his desperation had yet reached that point. He caught sight of a pantry to the right of the kitchen prep area. Inside were boxes and cans of all kinds of food. If he could slip in there, surely he could find something portable and ready to eat! It took all his patience to wait for the woman to turn her back, and then he quickly pulled on the screen door and let himself inside. It squeaked, and he cringed as he raced for the pantry.

The woman missed him by a moment. She chattered away in Spanish and went back to her work. Billy scanned the shelves, found some canned sodas and grabbed a six pack, picked up a bag of chips, and carefully tiptoed out with his bounty.

"Hey!" A stream of Spanish followed the exclamation, and Billy tore out of the kitchen and ran down the alley. In his haste, he lost two cans of soda. They fell onto the pavement and burst open, showering his pursuer. She cursed at him and turned back to the door. "Policía! Policía!"

Billy ran north, back to his old neighborhood. He didn't know where else to go, and he hoped that maybe things would be under control again at his apartment when he returned. If not, he had some food for awhile. He took a break in an alley, drained two cans as if they were water, and ate half the bag of chips before he was satisfied. He continued on his way, ignoring the churning in his stomach. He'd eaten too much, too fast. When he got home, he could deal with that problem.

He was almost there, just a few blocks to go. Billy could tell by the architecture, the run down buildings, and the people who still assembled on the corners as the sun rose higher in the sky. The back streets were scary even in the daytime, so he decided to walk down the main road, even if it put him at risk of being seen by the cops. With a half bag of tortilla chips and two sodas, he'd definitely stick out like a sore thumb. _I'm probably gonna be sorry I did this, but..._ He tossed his ill-gotten booty into the dumpster behind the mini mart, and then he moved around to the front of the building. His eyes roved toward the street, and he froze.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Sam rode around the neighborhood alone, insisting that Yvette needed to get back home with the kids. He dropped her off long enough to for a quick shower and change, and after a brief breakfast he was on the streets of Billy's home territory looking for him. He wouldn't quit, and not because of Irina's threats to jeopardize their status as foster parents. Every minute, every hour, that Billy was left unfound tore him up inside. The light on the dash lit up; he needed to stop at a gas station to fill up. The sun hung over the ocean, casting everything in the warm orange glow of early morning. His side still hurt like hell, so Sam rested against the car as he pumped gas and watched the bustle of traffic on the street, commuters and beach goers alike heading to their destinations, oblivious that a scared kid roamed the streets.

As he replaced the hose on the pump, Sam saw a flash of something dark out of the corner of his eye, and he turned, gaped, and called out. "Billy!"

Billy stopped in his tracks. He looked over his shoulder at Sam standing beside the car. Then he turned completely around and stood frozen to the spot.

Sam grinned. "It's okay, Billy. I'm not gonna hurt you."

Billy's eyes went to Sam's shirt. It was clean. _Of course, you idiot! He probably went home at some point and changed._ Then his eyes scrunched down as he took a few steps closer. "Hey, I thought...I thought I shot you. You were all bloody..."

"Yeah, it was just a flesh wound. I'm fine, really. See?" He pulled up his shirt to show Billy the bandages. "Fiona patched me up good as new." He managed to hide a wince as he revealed the injury.

"You're...I can't believe it. You're gonna be okay?"

"Yeah." Sam's smile widened. "I tried to get your attention, but man, you ran out of there so fast, you would have given a road runner a good race!"

Despite himself, Billy laughed in relief. He looked up at Sam and saw a deep sadness in the man's eyes that puzzled him. Then Sam reached out, pulled Billy against himself with one arm and hugged him. He was shocked, but not surprised. He'd spent enough time around the Axe house to know that they thrived on affection. It was still too strange for him to deal with, but he indulged him and put one arm around Sam's waist. And truth be told, he was pretty darn happy and relieved to see that Mr. Axe was okay. His other arm slipped around Mr. Axe and he held on tight. It felt good.

When Sam finally let go, he looked intently into Billy's eyes. "I want you to promise me that you'll never, ever, run away again. Just think about the trouble you got into this time. It could have been much worse! You could have been attacked and left for dead in an alley somewhere, and we never would have found you!"

The idea that this man cared that much, it unnerved Billy. But he promised anyway, because he decided that Mr. Axe was a good guy, and for some odd reason, he didn't want to let him down.

"Okay, I know you don't want to do this, but we're gonna have to go to the station, and you'll have to tell the police everything that happened. They'll probably have you look at some mug shots to ID those guys who broke into your place." Billy tensed up under his touch, but he squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "It was...well, it's okay. Just tell them what happened and why you had a gun in your hand. It'll be okay. I promise."

"O...okay."

"Guess we better get this over with, huh?" Billy nodded. Sam put his arm around him and led him to the passenger side of his car and let him in. He closed the gas tank, ripped his receipt from the machine, and got into the car. As he drove, he glanced at Billy and placed a hand on his shoulder. This time, the kid didn't flinch. "It's gonna be okay, Billy. Really."

Billy looked at Sam when the pressure lightened on his shoulder. Sam tapped his earpiece and said, "Call Mike." When he picked up, he announced happily, "Hey Mikey! I've got good news! I found Billy! Yeah, he's a little scuffed up and dirty, but he's okay. I'm taking him to the precinct to talk to Paxson."

"That's great, Sam! Jack and I will redirect our energies and find out what we can about the guys who showed up at the apartment. Something tells me that this goes beyond Billy's dad, and I have a sneaking suspicion that our favorite heroin distributor is involved somehow."

"Carmelo. Oh, Mike, are you serious? Last time we met him face to face, he vowed he was going to kill you if he ever saw you again."

"Yeah, well, he's said that before." Michael replied with a cocky tone.

"Don't push his buttons the wrong way, or he'll follow through this time."

"You just worry about taking care of Billy. Jack and I will handle this one, and if we need Fi, she'll be only too happy to assist."

"Okay, just be careful, brother. Please!"

"What? I always am."

"Thanks, Mike, for everything."

"Not a problem. Call me when you get home. I wanna make sure you two made it safe."

"Will do." He parked in the precinct lot and closed the connection. With a deep sigh, he turned to Billy. "Okay buddy, let's go do this!"

Billy walked beside him, his back straight with fear. He wanted to run, but he'd already done enough of that, and besides, he promised Mr. Axe he wouldn't do it again. It was time to face up to his crimes, confess, and hope they didn't throw the book at him right away.

"Hi," Sam said as he approached the front desk and smiled at the lady cop behind it. "We need to talk to Detective Paxson. Is she in?"

The officer quickly tapped a few keys on her computer. "I believe she just clocked in a little while ago. Let me check her desk." She picked up the phone and dialed. "Yes, Detective, there's a gentleman and a boy here to see you...yes, I'll send them back...Interview 3. Got it." She looked at Sam and smiled. "Det. Paxson wants to see you both in Interview 3. It's just down the hall this way. I'll show you."

As they walked the corridor, through the light hold he had on the kid's shoulder, Sam sensed Billy's fright. He couldn't blame him. After everything that happened...no doubt it was the first time he ever fired a gun, not to mention shot someone, and he probably thought he was on a one way trip to a lethal injection. The only way that would happen is if he shot himself up with the junk that left his father hanging in the balance between life and death. When the officer ushered them into a room with no windows, Sam pulled out a chair and silently requested that he sit. Paxson arrived soon afterwards.

She looked down at the furrow in Billy's brow and smiled at him warmly as she held out her hand. "Hello, Billy. I'm Detective Paxson. I'm a friend of Sam's."

Billy took her hand and shook it limply as he took the chair.

Sam sat in the seat next to Billy and slung his arm casually over the back of the boy's chair, letting his arm graze him, so he knew that no matter what, he had his support.

Paxson sat across from them and folded her hands on the table. With a pleasant look on her face, she spoke to him. "It's okay, Billy. Even though you left everybody scared half to death, you're not in any major trouble. That man you shot is in a prison hospital right now." She smiled when she heard him release a breath. "We're just here to talk about what happened, and maybe you can help us find the other guys and lock them up."

They were there a long time, but the information that Billy gave Paxson was valuable in the police investigation. He identified the men who broke into the apartment, and Sam agreed that they were the ones he witnessed. When they left the interview room, Billy looked as if the weight of the world had been taken off his shoulders. Sam stood beside him, his side still throbbing, looking forward to going home and taking a nap.

"Sam, we'll keep in touch." She shook his hand and looked down at Billy. "Thank you for your time, Billy. Your information will help us catch some really bad guys."

"You're welcome, Detective Paxson."

Sam didn't say anything to Billy until they left the station, and then he put his arm around his shoulders. "You did good, Billy. I know it wasn't fun ratting on your dad, but..."

"I hate him, Mr. Axe. I hate him so much, I hope he dies."

Sam stopped at the side of the car, closed his eyes, and felt a sharp pain in his soul caused by those words. He got down to Billy's level. "Look, I know you're angry at your dad. But please, don't ever think you want him dead. My dad and I, well, for a long time I hated him too. But we worked through it. If your dad gets help, he can change, and then you won't feel so angry towards him. You'll regret wanting him to die." What really hurt was knowing there was a distinct possibility that Stephen Fuller might actually make Billy's wish come true, and there would never be a chance of recovery and reconciliation.

They arrived at Sam's and he parked in the driveway. Billy got out of the car, and suddenly Yvette came flying out of the house and ran toward them. With her arms wide open, she shrieked out his name. "Billy! Billy! Thank God you're home!" He stood in the middle of the walkway staring in shock as she threw her arms around him and held him tightly, rocking him sideways back and forth as her tears of joy dribbled onto his shirt. "Oh baby, I'm so glad Sam found you!"

He tried to be strong. He really did. But the awe and wonder at Mrs. Axe's reaction did him in, and he wrapped his arms around her waist and cried with her.

Sam stood nearby, and when Samuel came out of the house looking perplexed at the scene, Sam crossed the yard, scooped him up and gave him a big hug and kiss.

"Hey kiddo, it's good to see you!"

"Daddy! What happened to Billy?"

"It's okay, it's not important. He's home now, and that's all that matters." He kept moving toward the house, and when he entered with Yvette and Billy close behind, he asked, "Where's Nicki?" For a moment, he had a dreadful feeling in the pit of his stomach. Maybe they took her away and intended on ripping Billy out of their arms the moment he came home.

"She's napping right now, Sam."

"Oh, okay." He let out a deep breath. Then he set Samuel on his feet. "Hey, did you call the school and tell them Billy wouldn't be in again today?"

"Yes." She stopped Sam at the screen and whispered, "Irina's in the living room, and she's not too happy. I think she wants to take the kids away today. Please, we've got to convince her to let them stay!"

They entered the room and saw Billy had already taken matters into his own hands. As he talked to her, his arms moved about animatedly. Her eyes were wide, taking in everything. In the end, she left the kids with Sam and his family until her supervisors could make a decision. "Despite what happened, they're probably safest with you, Sam. Besides, you're starting to break through, and we don't want to interrupt progress." She smiled at him. "I'll keep in touch with you two. Take care!"

"Mr. Axe, she said I could stay," Billy said with a voice that conveyed the closest thing to happiness Sam had heard out of him since the whole thing started.

"Yes, she did. Now, why don't you go get cleaned up and changed, and then we'll just hang out today. Sound good?"

Billy grinned. "Yeah!"

"But don't expect this to go on forever. Tomorrow you're back at school, buddy."

"Of course!" He laughed and ran to the stairs.

Sam was so glad to see the excitement on his face and the light in his eyes, he didn't bother to scold him for running in the house. He had no idea how Billy could be so revved up after everything that happened. He, on the other hand, needed to rest. Sam took a brief nap on the couch while Billy got himself together, and then they went out to do some fun guy stuff, opening up the kid's world and creating a bond between them. He knew it was dangerous, because in the end Billy would only be going on to an uncertain future, but for the time being, Sam had a plan. They went for lunch, and while they ate, he studied the boy. The incident blew a big hole in Billy's defenses, and now he looked relaxed and happy in Sam's presence.

"Are you having a good time?"

Billy scooped up a fry with lots of ketchup. He wore some of it on his new shirt. Yvette was going to throw a fit, but that was the least of Sam's worries at the moment. Billy looked at him intently, and his blue eyes sparkled as he replied. "I'm having a great time, Mr. Axe. Thanks!" He glanced down at his hamburger, then back up to Sam. "I'm sorry I was kind of a jerk when you took us in. I..." He sighed and shook his head. "It was stupid."

"I understand completely what was going on, Billy. You haven't exactly had the kind of environment that breeds trust. But that's okay. I hope that your living with us has taught you a few things."

"Yeah." He smiled. "I may not be the brightest kid, but after everything you did trying to find me, I'm like, totally amazed." A serious expression crossed his face. "Nobody's ever been so nice to me. My dad...my dad never would have taken on those guys like that. He would have just run and let them hurt me or my mom. Well, he did let them hurt my mom. They took her away, right in front of us, and he just let them!" His voice cracked and he blinked back tears.

Sam reached across the small table and gave his shoulder a squeeze. "I'm sorry that you've had to live like that, Billy. I hope maybe your dad will learn something from this. And if my friends and I can do anything about it, we'll take down this ring he's part of so that you and your mom and sister can have a fresh start."

"You really think you can do that?"

Sam nodded with confidence. "Those guys don't know who they're dealing with. Michael Westen used to be a spy. Jack and I were SEALs, and we did black ops stuff. They won't know what hit 'em when we get them where we want them."

Billy looked up at Sam with awe. "I sure hope you're right."

"You'll just have to wait and see." Sam gave him a smile. "Now, what are we going to do this afternoon? Anything in particular you want to do or see?" He could see the wheels spinning in the kid's head. He'd suddenly been given a choice he'd never had before, and he had no idea where to begin. Sam rattled off some ideas, and they soon found themselves at the Miami Science Museum. If Sam hadn't taken the time to talk with him, he never would have known the kid was crazy about science. The afternoon spent there turned out to be a breakthrough, capped off by a stop for ice cream to ruin their suppers.

"When we get home, don't tell my wife, okay?" He winked at Billy and added, "Are you gonna leave that perfectly good cherry there?"

Billy laughed. "You can have it, Mr. Axe."

"Thanks!" He picked it up, popped it into his mouth, and separated it cleanly from the stem. "Okay, we better get or Eve's going to wonder what happened to us!"

Sam had to give Billy props for trying to eat supper after he polished off a big hot fudge sundae. Unfortunately, neither of them made much of a dent in their plates. Yvette knew, he could tell by the displeased look on her face, but she never said a word as she and Espie cleared the table. She cut them some slack because she was aware that things would be back to business as usual starting that night with homework. After their outing, even though Billy was tired, he made an effort in doing the work that Esperanza brought home, and with Sam's guidance, he learned and went to bed exhausted, but full of new knowledge that rattled around in his dreams. For the first time in his life, when he awoke the next morning he was actually glad to go to school.

It didn't hurt that he'd gained a semi-celebrity status and all the kids wanted to hear about his time on the run. But telling it wasn't nearly as fun as he'd hoped it would be. He just wanted to get back to what was becoming a new normal for him, and that included going home to Mr. and Mrs. Axe at the end of the long school day.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Jack located Carmelo. He had a reservation to dine at one of South Beach's finest restaurants that very evening. Michael, Fiona, and Jack dressed for the occasion; the men in suits and ties, and Fiona in a sexy black dress. Michael almost didn't recognize Jack when he pulled up in a black sedan with blacked out windows. They arrived separately and Michael parked the Charger where there was easy access in case things didn't go as planned. Jack parked the sedan across from the restaurant on the street.

The trio walked past the maitre'd as if they belonged there. "Excuse me, you can't just walk in here!"

"I'm sorry, our party is here," Michael replied with a suave accent. "We're just a little late, so excuse us." Michael gave the man a disarming smile as he returned to his podium to check the seating chart.

"Wait! Who are you with? Sir! Sir!"

Michael ignored him and made a straight line for Carmelo's table. The man had his arms wrapped around a luscious looking woman, so they approached his table without him knowing until it was too late. His bodyguards, however, moved forward, hands clasped in front of them, with brooding expressions on their faces.

"Boys, we don't want any trouble," Michael said. "We just need a little help from Mr. Carmelo here. Do you mind?"

"Michael Westen." Carmelo shook his head and chuckled mirthlessly. "Either you place no value on your life, or you're crazy. I told you, the last time we met..."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, but I need your help. And after you hear me out, I think you're gonna want to help me, because what I'm about to tell you is cutting into your bottom line."

"A little louder, perhaps? I don't believe the city councilman sitting over there heard you." He tilted his head to his left. Several tables away, a well-dressed, political looking man sat with his party, oblivious to the drama playing out nearby.

Michael smiled and took a seat next to him. Jack sat opposite them, and Fiona in between.

"Daphne honey, why don't you go powder your nose or something?"

The woman next to Carmelo nodded and stood.

"I think I'll join you, Daphne," Fiona said with a smile and followed the woman to the restrooms.

Carmelo watched them disappear into the dim hall leading to the back of the restaurant. He sighed heavily and stared at Michael with hooded eyes. "You better make this good, Westen. You have until Daphne gets back to convince me not to kill you here and now."

"I'm sure you've heard about the heroin coma cases that have been popping up all over town. Well, some would like to pin those on you, but I know you. You cut your stuff down too much to ever cause something like this to happen. So you know what it is: somebody new is in town working real hard to steal your business."

"And you care about me because..."

"Oh, I wish you'd take a long walk off a short airboat in the Everglades, from bow to stern, but right now we've got bigger things to worry about like this competition of yours. I just figured you'd want to get rid of him as much as we do, so if you happen to know anything..."

"You expect me to come running to you with information? Are you really that stupid?"

Michael shrugged. "Well, it was worth a shot, huh? Hey, no problem. We'll find him eventually, but in the meantime, your whole kingdom, so to speak, might be crumbling at the foundation. You're a gutsy guy to take that chance."

"What do you want from me, Westen?"

"I want to know what you know. If you have any idea, any word on the street from your buddies who this guy could be." Michael looked up as Daphne and Fiona returned to the table. Fiona shook her head. She didn't get anything useful out of her.

"Okay, if it'll get you off my back...word is some guy from up north came down to shake things up and take over the business here. He's making the stuff purer than anybody else. I've heard he's got labs all over the place, but my people say he's got just one, outside of town near the reservoirs."

"I'm surprised you're not checking this stuff out, or paying someone to do it."

"I'm not worried about him, because he can't keep doing this forever. With people dying and going into comas from his stuff, somebody's going to get mad and take care of my problem for me. And then we'll just take over his lab, so there's more for me." He shrugged. "But hey, if you want to take care of my problem, maybe I'll cut you a break and not kill you until you bother me again someday."

Michael grinned. "You've got yourself a deal. Who is the guy?"

He looked around and a couple of faces he recognized caught his eye People he didn't want knowing his business. "Tell you what. Meet me at the Cuban Cafe on Ocean tomorrow."

"Okay. What time?"

"Eight o'clock in the morning." He met Michael's gaze, sealing the agreement with his piercing eyes. "And come alone, or I keep going."

Michael nodded and smiled. "I'll be there."

The next day, Michael was at the cafe at eight, but Carmelo wasn't there. He waited a reasonable amount of time before giving up. For a brief moment, he wondered if something happened to him, but as Michael pulled on his collar and prepared to trot to his car in an early morning rain, a sedan pulled up to the curb in a No Parking zone. The tinted window rolled down, and he saw Carmelo's eyes peering out. He stuck a folded piece of paper out the window as the vehicle slowly started moving again. Michael reached out, grabbed it, and crushed it in his hand as the sedan rolled away. After it turned the corner and he was sufficiently soaked, he ran to his car, got in, and unfolded the paper. The bottom of his world dropped out from underneath him when he saw the name written on it. And then he had to decide if he could take the word of a drug kingpin and act on this information, or investigate first to be sure before he took down a good man.

"Sam, I need to talk," Michael said when his friend picked up. "Can we meet at the Cafe?"

"Sure, brother. I'll be right there."

He knew Sam heard the gravity in his voice and would arrive as quickly as he could to help. He couldn't believe this bombshell that had been placed into his hand, and yet, there was no denying that things started happening right around the time Phil showed up. At one time, he and Phil had been really good friends, despite their divergent personalities. It was the on-edge quality that made their friendship so dynamic. Michael knew about Phil's desire to make money and lots of it, but he never would have thought him capable of starting a drug distribution trade to make it happen. And no matter how reckless he seemed at times, he wouldn't willfully harm innocent people. If you stripped away the addiction, these were innocent people, but maybe somewhere along the line, Phil forgot about that.

_This is all speculation. I don't know the truth, not yet._

Sam parked his car next to Michael's, got out, and hurried around to the driver's side. "Hey Mike, I thought you wanted to meet inside. It's raining out here!"

Michael smiled thinly at him as he got out of the car. He still held the paper in his hand and crumpled it up before sticking it into his pocket. "Yeah, I was just...thinking."

In the light drizzle, Sam cocked his head and studied him with intense eyes. "Something's really bothering you. If you were me, I'd say you needed a mojito, but this looks more like a double shot of espresso."

"You could say that. Come on."

They entered the covered porch of the Cuban coffee shop and found a table far away from the sidewalk splash, shook the rain off themselves, and sat down. Michael waited until after the server brought them their coffee before he spoke. "Carmelo was here, and he delivered on his promise to provide a name."

"I take it that name wasn't what you were expecting."

Michael looked up from the steaming cup. "I suppose you would think it perfectly natural that it's him."

Sam folded his arms on the table and leaned over his own cup. "Him? Who? You've gotta tell me who before I make a judgement call."

"Carmelo says it's Phil Mackie."

"Whooooo." Sam wasn't expecting that, and he looked as shocked as Michael supposed he did when he looked at the piece of paper. "Now, I know Phil has been into some shady stuff, but this..." He looked up at his friend with a sense of betrayal in his eyes. "This is pretty unbelievable."

"I know."

"You know how I feel about Phil, especially after he pulled that raid in Afghanistan." He frowned. "Oh Mike, what do you wanna bet that raid was more than just a good-willed attempt to take down some drug suppliers? What if his real goal was to take the stuff for himself, ship it back to the States, and start his little drug distribution empire?"

Michael shook his head. "No, Sam. They accounted for everything when the dust settled. I remember that. Phil told me..." He slapped his hands over his face and hung his head. When he emerged again, anger filled his eyes as he stared off toward the street. "I let my loyalty to Phil blind me to what was really going on." He turned back to Sam. "How could I not see it? I was letting emotion cloud my judgement."

In Michael's book, that was a big sin. But in Sam's..."We all make mistakes, Mike. You know I let my heart rule my head sometimes. We all do. But it doesn't matter anymore. That stuff is long gone. What we need to be concerned about is what he's doing right now. He's killing people, Mikey."

"People are killing themselves with this stuff."

"But they wouldn't be if they were using the usual junk that's on the streets. Not that I condone that sort of thing, but you know what I mean." Sam got up, picked up a paper from a nearby table, and searched through it for a few seconds. Then he folded it and slapped it down in front of Michael. "Read it."

The headline read, "Third Death Linked to Heroin."

Michael scanned the article and stopped at the second paragraph. "Stephen Fuller." He looked up at Sam. "He's dead?"

"Yeah. This is how I had to find out, by opening the paper. What if Billy had seen that?" Sam shook his head. "I called Paxson, shortly before you called. She said he was on life support for the past two weeks, and his condition was deteriorating, so they pulled the plug yesterday. You know, the least they could have done was let us know, and maybe Billy could have said goodbye before they did it."

"I'm sorry, Sam. It was probably better that he didn't see his dad that way."

"I had to break it to the kid before taking him to school this morning. I almost kept him home, but he insisted on going. Billy's a real trouper, Mike, he tried to put up a good front. No matter how he said he hated his dad, deep down, I know he loved him." He sighed and took a long sip of his coffee. "He's going to have a hard day today."

"Refills?"

"Yes, please." Michael sat back while the server poured another cup for him and topped off Sam's before walking away.

"He should have had the chance to say goodbye if he wanted it." Sam shook his head. "No matter. Let's worry about what we're going to do with Phil."

"Carmelo told me that he has a lab on the west end near the reservoirs, but he doesn't know exactly where." Michael picked up his cup. "It's such a nice rainy day, I think Fi and I are going to go for a little drive."

"You want someone to watch Luke and Mari?"

"I was hoping you'd ask, Sam, but I'll call Ma and Samuel. You're going to have your hands full dealing with Billy and a funeral."

"I don't think it's my place to be arranging one." Sam set down his cup. "But I am going to go pay Diana a visit and take Nicki. I don't know if anyone's told her yet, or how she'll take it, so I think I'll have Eve come along."

"Good plan. Is she still in the hospital?"

"No, they let her out yesterday. She's in a drug rehab facility up in Boca, as part of a plea deal. If she keeps clean for a year, she'll have nothing but probation in the rearview mirror and a new life ahead for her and the kids. Arrangements have already been made for her to live in Orlando with her folks and the kids."

"When will that be?"

"She has to stay at the facility for a month, but after that..." Sam's voice lowered in volume as he stared into his cup. "Then they'll be gone."

"Orlando's not that far. It would give you an excuse to take the kids on vacation." Michael smiled, trying to cheer him up.

"Yeah. Anyway, you and Fi be careful scoping out that lab. And if you find he's got an army of guys guarding it, get Paxson involved. Don't try to take it down yourself, or with our little band."

In the past, Michael would have blown off his pleas, but things were different now. He had other people, two young children in particular, counting on him to make it through another day. He nodded. "You've got a deal, Sam."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Before Sam and Yvette took Nicki to see her mother, they met with Diana's counselor. She gave them a rundown on Diana's condition, and allowed them to visit with her. They found her in a day room with other residents, but she sat near the window by herself watching the rain fall, her head leaning against the back of a rocking chair that was perfectly still.

"Mrs. Fuller...Diana?"

Her eyes slowly turned toward Yvette's voice. When she saw Nicki, her eyes widened, her mouth opened, and her arms reached out. Yvette smiled and gave her the child. "Nicki! Oh my baby." She sobbed into Nicki's shoulder as she held her close and rocked her. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! We screwed up, your Daddy and I. I'm sorry."

Yvette and Sam backed off for awhile and let Diana have time with her daughter. They found a couple of empty chairs and sat nearby until Diana had calmed herself and was able to talk. Yvette swiped at her nose with a tissue, and when she heard a soft sniffle to her left, reached into her purse, pulled out another one, and handed it to Sam without glancing at him.

"Allergies," he whispered.

"Yeah, right," she whispered back and smirked at his lame excuse.

"Who...who are you people? Are you from social services?"

"I'm Sam Axe, and this is my wife Yvette. We're foster parents, and we've been taking care of Billy and Nicki."

"Well, it looks like you've been doing a good job," Diana said with a sad smile. "Better than Stephen and I ever did."

"Billy's at school, or we would have brought him along."

Her brow furrowed. "I hope he hasn't been too much trouble!"

Yvette smiled and a look of pride crossed her features. "It took some adjusting, but he's actually doing quite well. Sam works with the kids at night doing homework, and once Billy got used to the idea that he wouldn't get away with slacking off, he started getting into it."

"He's a good kid, Diana. He just needs guidance."

Diana's mouth twisted and her eyes watered. "Steve and I let him get away with everything. My husband...he was too busy dealing, and I...I was too busy thinking about myself. The time I spent captive made me sober up and think about what I'd been doing. I thought it was all going to be for nothing when they shot me, and left me for dead." Tears ran down her face and she swiped at them with a sleeve. "But I've been given a second chance. I only hope that Stephen can join me."

Sam and Yvette glanced at each other, unsure about whether they should break the news to her. But Diana saw the look pass between them. "He's not going to make it, is he."

"I'm sorry." Sam replied with his head hung, and then he looked up at her. "He died yesterday."

A fresh crop of tears sprung from Diana, and Yvette scooted her chair over to her side. She leaned into Yvette. Nicki fussed from being held too tightly, so Sam got up and took her. The baby cried, and he held her close and soothed her. Diana watched him, although he wasn't paying attention to her. She calmed and dried her tears with a handful of tissues Yvette gave her, blew her nose, and sat up straight. Diana's eyes were bright with envy.

"I wish Steve could have been that kind of daddy," she whispered. "You're a lucky woman, Yvette."

She smiled at Diana. "And to think, he didn't want kids at first. We have two, one of our own, and the other a former foster child we adopted."

The smile wiped off of Diana's face as she pulled back in her chair. "A-are you people going to try to adopt Billy and Nicki?"

"No!" Yvette reached out and placed a soft hand on he arm. "No, we want to see your family, what's left of it, come back together."

"I was afraid maybe that's why you came."

"As much as we'll miss the children, we know that they belong with you."

"That's right," Sam chimed in. "Hopefully, moving to Orlando will be a good thing for all of you."

Diana nodded, relieved. "My parents are really excited to have us. They haven't seen Billy since he was a baby, and they've never met Nicki." She shook away new tears forming in her eyes. "Steve wouldn't let me go see them. He said they were no good for us, when it was the exact opposite. Life with him changed me in so many ways. Bad ways. I need to go home, to get back to who I was before I fell for him."

Yvette hugged her. "You don't know how good it makes me feel to hear that, Diana! It's good that something positive came out of this tragedy."

"I hope the month goes by fast." She hesitated and pulled away from Yvette, then looked down at her hands. "I...I don't know what to do about Stephen...his body, I mean." She looked up at them. "I don't think he deserves a funeral. Is that bad of me?"

"I don't think that's for us to judge," Sam replied as he sat and rocked Nicki. She fell asleep cradled in his arms even though she was almost too big for such a position. "If you want help putting something together, I'll be glad to assist. Or...you can donate his body to the medical college, and maybe something good will come of his death."

A slight smile crossed Diana's face. "I like that idea, Mr. Axe."

Sam couldn't help but smile. "I think Billy will actually think it's pretty cool. Did you know that kid is crazy about science? The math, not so much, but I think I've convinced him he has to hit the books more and get over that hump if he ever wants to become a scientist."

Diana grinned and burst into a short laugh. "Mr. Axe...Billy, a scientist? Really? Is that what he wants to be?"

"For the moment. You know how kids are, they change their minds like the wind."

She smiled. "Thank you for telling me. When I see Billy again, I'll be able to talk to him about that. You see, his grandpa, my father, was a researcher with NASA before he retired. I think Billy will find it quite fascinating."

"Wow."

"But please, keep it to yourself. I want it to be a surprise." Diana grinned.

"Oh, you can be sure, my lips are sealed."

"He's used to keeping state secrets. This'll be a piece of cake."

"I'm sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Axe, you'll have to leave now. It's lunch time, and after that we have structured sessions for the residents," a woman in scrub pants and a flowered top told them with a friendly smile.

"Okay, just let Diana get in one more hug, okay?" Sam stood and gave her Nicki.

Diana planted little kisses all over the baby's face. "Okay, honey, you be a good little girl for our friends, okay? I'll see you soon!" She stood and handed Nicki back to Sam. "Thank you both for bringing her."

"We'll come by on Saturday, if that's okay, and bring Billy along this time," Sam said as he handed Nicki off to Yvette and picked up the diaper bag from next to his chair.

"That'll be great, as long as it's in the morning between ten and noon. That's our free time." She stood up and embraced him. "Thank you, Mr...Sam. You've both been a blessing from heaven!"

Diana embraced Yvette and Nicki at the same time, then turned to leave with the nurse. She waved at her daughter, and then she was gone down a corridor. From where they stood they couldn't hear her, but they could see Diana chatting up a storm and the nurse smiled at her.

"I feel like we just did that woman a world of good."

"Me too, Sam. Me too."

The sun had come out and the pavement slowly dried under its rays. As they left the facility, Sam's phone rang. "Hello."

"Sam, it's me."

"Mike. What happened?"

Michael chuckled. "Expecting the worst, huh?"

"Well, you were tracking down a remote drug processing facility without backup, so yeah, I was. What happened?"

"We found it. I contacted Paxson, and the DEA, and they're going to check it out. Seems awfully anti-climactic, but well, that's just the way it is sometimes. How'd things go up at the rehab camp?"

"It went very well. Diana has made huge strides, and now that she knows she's got something to look forward to, she's excited about moving with the kids to her parents' place. Sounds like Billy's grandpa might be a huge influence on him."

"That's great news, Sam." Michael tried to keep the sadness out of his voice, because he knew that his friend was genuinely happy for the kids, but that didn't lessen the anticipated pain of losing them.

"So, anyway, we're headed back to town now. We'll see you later."

When they arrived home, Sam contacted the university to see what was needed to have Stephen's body donated to the medical college. Once that was arranged, he had to decide when and how, or even if, to tell Billy.

The kids were doing homework when she called that night. Yvette picked up the phone and brought it into the dining room. "Sam, it's for you. It's...Diana."

"My mom? Can I say hi?"

"Sure." Yvette handed him the phone and he spent a tearful five minutes talking to her. Then he handed it to Sam. "She says she only has like five more minutes to talk, so she wants to talk to you."

"Okay. This is Sam."

"Sam, I wanted to remind you not to say anything to Billy about the arrangements for his father."

Sam got up and went into the kitchen. "No problem. I wasn't sure if it was my place to tell him. I did, however, get the ball rolling to have Stephen's body taken to the college."

"Thank you. I wasn't sure how to do that from here. When I see him on Saturday, I'll tell Billy. I appreciate everything you've done, and are doing, for my kids."

"You're welcome." There was a pause. "Was there anything else?"

"Yes. I wanted to talk to you about the circumstances...I mean, I understand you're a detective of some kind."

"Yeah."

"Well, I know who my husband was dealing with, and I've heard that Steve wasn't the only one who died from this man's...product. I don't want anyone else to die, Sam. I have to tell you. His name is Phil. Phil Mackie."

"We know, Diana. We're already looking into it. But you should talk to the police, if you haven't already."

"I told them some of what I knew, but...but I was afraid to tell anyone about Phil. I saw today's paper, Sam. This can't go on anymore."

"I can call Detective Paxson and she'll make sure someone goes up to interview you tomorrow. How's that sound?"

"Perfect! Thank you. I, uh, I have to go now. Give my babies a hug and kiss for me, will you?"

He smiled and his voice softened with emotion. "I will. Good night, Diana."

That night as he tucked Nicki into her crib, he gave her a cuddle and a kiss from her mother. Even Billy accepted an embrace, but he said he was too big for kisses, even if they were from his mom. Sam closed the door behind him as he left the kids in the office and sighed.

"He's growing up, Eve. Right before our very eyes."

"They do that, you know." She put her arm around him and they retreated to their room for the night.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

The shrill ring of the phone woke Sam a few hours later. He groaned and his hand reached out to grab the receiver. "This better be good." Into the phone, he mumbled, "Hello?"

"Sam, it's Paxson."

"Oh, Detective. It's...what..." He squinted at the clock. "It's almost four. Couldn't this have waited until morning?" Suddenly, his brain kicked into gear and he scrambled from lying on his stomach to a sitting position on the edge of the bed. "Is it Mike? Is he okay? He didn't get into Phil's operation, did he?"

"No, Michael is fine, as far as I know. We've had surveillance on that lab, and we're about ready to get a search warrant. But I'm not calling about that." She exhaled loudly. "Sam...Diana Fuller is dead."

"What?" He yelled out the question, causing Yvette to sit up straight in bed, eyes wide open as she turned on the light.

"What? What is it, Sam?"

His voice shook as he asked, "What happened?"

"Someone injected her with an overdose of heroin, and I'm betting I know who did it." Paxson's voice held a hint of controlled anger. "She called you earlier, didn't she?"

"Yes. She wanted to talk to the police about Phil."

"I know. We've retrieved the tapes. All the residents' calls are monitored. We also know that before she called you, Phil called for her. We don't know how he found out where she was, but he did. He threatened her. He said if she told, he was going to hurt her and the kids."

"But she told me anyway."

"Brave woman."

"Yeah, she was." Sam turned around. "Eve, go check on Billy and Nicki. Now! And take this." He reached into the night stand and grabbed the gun.

She nodded as she took it, unlocked her nightstand with a key she kept hidden from the kids, and pulled out the ammunition clip. She loaded the gun as she left the room.

"Okay, Eve's going to check on the kids. So what are you saying, Phil got into the facility and injected her?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. A window in the community room was jimmied open. There's a team checking for clues, and no doubt with all the rain we've had, they'll find footprints. It's just a matter of time, Sam. We'll get Phil."

Yvette returned to the room and shook her head. "Looks like everything is okay here."

"Good. You let me know if anything out of the ordinary happens."

Sam cocked a grin. "Maybe I should just tell you if anything ordinary happens, because around here, every day is anything but."

"Enjoy the rest of your night, Sam. And be careful."

"We will."

In the morning, Sam had to figure out how to tell Billy that his mother was dead. Finally, he just told him as simply as he could. He was inconsolable, and if it had been a school day, he would have stayed home. Sam felt little relief that Nicki was too young to understand what was going on, because ultimately she would lose out. She would probably never remember her mother, and that thought broke his heart.

Despite this tragic turn of events, life had to go on. Sam took Esperanza to her skating session and left Billy and Nicki with Yvette and little Samuel. He was worried about her being alone with three kids, but she was armed and aware of the danger. To be on the safe side, they went to Maddie and Samuel's house to visit and then planned to go to the beach with them. It wouldn't be the first time they used a very public place to shield themselves from danger. Sam only hoped that Phil would have at least half a conscience and not try anything that would put other people's lives in jeopardy.

"Dad, I don't really want to go to skating today. It's too sad what's going on."

Sam looked at Esperanza in the rearview mirror. "I know, sweetheart, but staying home really isn't going to help much. Just try to go out there on the ice and do a good job, okay?"

"Okay."

Sam watched from the bleachers as Espie went through her paces. By now she was working with Ms. Olga and only two other girls in a special class for gifted skaters. Through the course of the week they drilled on spins, and Espie was working on one that was quite advanced, but Sam knew that even the simple ones could be dangerous if done improperly. So between the threat hanging over Billy and Nicki, and the complexity of his daughter's lessons on the ice, he was afraid he'd soon be a nervous wreck.

"She's looking good out there, Axe."

Sam turned abruptly, his hand reaching into his jacket for the gun he holstered inside. It was just one of the skating dads. "Oh yeah. Hi, Wyatt. Yeah, she's coming along."

The guy sighed as he watched his own daughter struggle on the ice. "We're pulling Libby from her lessons. She's just not getting it, and it's always a battle to get her to come. My wife, of course, is devastated."

"Man, if that's all you've got to be grieving over, you're a lucky guy." It was hard for Sam to feel sympathetic. "Right now, we're dealing with our foster kids' mom's death."

"Wow. Sorry to hear that." Wyatt fell silent, realizing that his worst troubles were nothing compared to Sam's.

They watched Espie as Ms. Olga coached her on her spin. It was a camel that morphed into a sit spin, and ended with Espie holding her back leg up in the air. She'd been working on everything except for the last part, and today she would include the move. Everything was going perfectly. She raised her leg and her hand reached back to grab the blade. Sam gasped as the blade on the ice wobbled slightly, and the next thing he knew, she spiraled down, rolled, and landed flat on her back.

"Espie!" He shot off the bench, but Wyatt held him by the arm.

She sat up, gave him a sheepish grin as she stood, tested her footing and put weight on the ankle. "I'm fine, Dad!" After dusting off her butt, she skated off into a large oval before going back to the center to try again.

Sam dropped to the bench and shook his head in his hands. He was relieved when the session was over and she survived without breaking anything. Esperanza skipped to the car, giving him a blow by blow replay of everything he'd seen. She was high on her accomplishment, and if it had been a normal day, he would have rejoiced along with her. But he was too busy watching the area around them. Phil threatened Diana's kids, but Sam wouldn't put it past him to try to take out anyone who might hamper his operations and his freedom. As ex-military, Phil knew the results of making kids a target. They made it home without incident and joined the rest of the family at the beach.

On Monday, Sam and Yvette walked the kids to school. Billy had been quiet all weekend, except when Sam talked to him about his mom. He promised Billy that he and Yvette would arrange a nice funeral for her. He thought maybe the kid would change his mind about the disposal of his dad's body, but it was as if the man never existed. He was only concerned about his mother.

"I wonder if we should have kept him home today," Yvette whispered to Sam as she prepared the wagon for Nicki.

Sam sat Nicki in it and replied, "No. He's probably better off going to school and keeping busy. It seemed to help with the news about his dad."

"But this is different. It's his mom. Her death is hitting him a lot harder, and now he's probably wondering what's going to happen to them."

"Nothing's changed. The plan is still on for them to move to the grandparents', just that they're going after the funeral."

She nodded. "Understandable."

He knew what she was thinking, because he'd been mulling over the same thing. But there was no fighting it; they belonged with their grandparents. Sam talked with them the night before, and the Holdens were excited about coming to Miami to pick up the kids, although they were upset about losing their daughter. The funeral was set for Wednesday. Two more days, and the kids would be gone. Sam tried not to dwell on it, because it sliced into his gut like a knife and twisted his insides every time it came to mind.

At the end of the block, Sam noticed a dark blue Lexus parked on the side street. The glass was tinted, but still Sam recognized the outline of the figure behind the wheel. "Phil." The engine roared to life as he and the kids entered the crosswalk. Yvette was bringing up the rear with the wagon. The driver picked up speed, and Sam yelled to the kids. "Run!"

Yvette turned the wagon on a dime and ran back to the side of the road from where they came while Billy, Esperanza and Samuel ran for the trees on the other side the street. Sam huddled them together with one arm as he turned with his gun drawn to face the driver. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yvette took shelter behind a large tree trunk and had the wagon safely tucked behind her. She held her weapon up and aimed at the driver.

Phil raised a Mac10 and fired, destroying the passenger side window of his car and sending a hail of bullets at Sam and the kids. Sam pushed them back, getting them behind a tree, and he used his own body as a shield. The bullets spit up slivers of concrete from the sidewalk and neared him. He ducked behind the tree just in time. Pieces of bark splintered off and flew everywhere.

Above the rain of bullets came the sound of sirens and shots from both Yvette and Sam's guns. The car's tires squealed as Phil took the corner and he started shooting at Sam and the kids from another angle. Sam stepped past them, swept the kids behind the tree with his right arm, and spun to face Phil again. He fired his last two bullets at Phil just as two of Phil's shots hit him squarely in the chest. The force knocked him off his feet and his head cracked against the pavement as he hit the ground.

"Daddy!" Esperanza screamed.

Yvette ran into the street, broke out the back window of the Lexus and emptied her clip. Phil's body jerked. He slumped forward, and the car kept running on an angle across the street and crashed into a parked vehicle, setting off the car alarm.

"Sam! Sam, are you okay?" Yvette ran toward him and the frightened children.

"Awwwww, ah...I hate getting hit in the flak jacket," he grumbled as he slowly sat up and rubbed the back of his head. "I think I'm gonna have a knot back there from hitting the sidewalk."

"Well if that's all you get out of this, we'll be happy. Won't we, kids?"

They nodded in agreement and grabbed onto Sam, talking all at once, crying and being thankful that none of them was shot. Police cruisers showed up, and the children were late to school that day, but not even their teachers could fault them.

The next day, Sam drove the car to the school to pick up the kids. They were late coming to the curb, so he parked and went inside to see what was the matter. He found Samuel sitting in the hall in front of the classroom door. "Hey Sammy, what's up?"

"Espie and Billy are in there. I think they're in trouble."

"Okay. You stay here." Sam entered the room and saw the two standing before the teacher's desk. Mrs. Gannon stood behind it.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Axe. I'd like to have a word with you."

"Sure, Mrs. Gannon." Sam turned to Esperanza and Billy. "You guys wait outside on the playground for me, okay? And take Samuel with you." Now that Phil was dead and the threat gone, he was comfortable with sending them out to play.

"Yes, Dad." Esperanza turned and pulled Billy by the arm toward the door.

"She's gonna tell," he whispered.

Those words weren't meant for Sam's ears, but he heard them nonetheless. He cocked an eyebrow and turned back toward the teacher. "Was there something you wanted to discuss, Mrs. Gannon?"

"Yes, Mr. Axe. It's about Billy."

_Uhoh, what's he done? _"Yes? I'm all ears." He stood with his hands in his pockets in an attempt to appear casual, but whenever a teacher stood behind the desk, he could never shake the feeling that it had to be something bad.

She picked up a sheet of paper and reached across the space between them. "This is Billy's math test from last week."

Sam took it from her hand and studied it. He couldn't see anything wrong with it; as a matter of fact, there wasn't a single mark on it, except for the score at the top. "He passed with one hundred percent. That's good."

"Before Billy went to live with your family, he was pulling D's and F's on just about every subject. Since he moved in with you, his scores have gone up, he's behaving himself, and quite frankly, I'm quite pleased to have him in my class now." Her smile dissolved into a frown. "Unfortunately, I hear that he'll be leaving us soon to live with his grandparents."

Sam tried to keep his voice calm, hiding the emotion, because this was it. In twenty four hours, their house would be a little bit emptier. "Yeah...Billy, uh, won't be in class tomorrow because their mom's funeral is tomorrow. After that, the grandparents are taking the kids." He glanced down at the paper again.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I just wanted you to know what a profound influence your family has had on him. I hope that losing Billy and Nicole won't sour you and your wife on taking in more kids."

"We weren't planning on taking in Billy and his sister. It just happened. And now that it has, I'm not sure we want to just jump in and take more." He paused and locked his gaze on her. "To be honest with you, Mrs. Gannon, it's heartbreaking. We were lucky with Esperanza that we could adopt her. We can't do that with all of them, and having to give them back, or pass them onto other relatives, well, I'm not sure we can handle that."

"You have a way with children, Mr. Axe. If your present career ever goes south, I would suggest, as an alternative, that you become a full time teacher."

He smiled. "I've been told that before, but I'm afraid it just wouldn't match the excitement of chasing down bad guys."

"Maybe you can prevent some from becoming bad, if you're in their classroom."

His smile widened. "Been there, done that. Not so sure." He sighed and put the paper back on her desk. "Is there anything else, Mrs. Gannon?"

"No, just thank you."

"You're welcome. I hope that Billy's grandparents can raise him up right, and keep him interested in school. I've done everything I could to keep him engaged, you know? My friends, Mike and Fiona, have had a real hand in that, too. I think he's going to really miss, Fi. She likes to make things go boom."

Mrs. Gannon chuckled. "So I've heard. Billy wanted to bring her in so she could talk about bomb making. I nipped that one in the bud."

"Probably a good idea." Sam laughed. "So, anyway, if there's nothing else..."

"No, thank you, Mr. Axe. I just wanted to share this with you and thank you for working with Billy. I hope he appreciates it as well."

Sam nodded. "He does." He glanced at his watch. "Now, I need to get the kids home, because I made a promise that we were going out tonight if I got a favorable report on this test. Both kids came through, so we're celebrating." Sam grinned at her. "You have a nice evening, Mrs. Gannon."

"And you, Mr. Axe."

When he emerged from the building, he heard his daughter's voice beside him. "Dad?"

"Yes, Espie," Sam replied as he took her hand. Billy walked on his other side as they headed for the car.

"When Billy moves to Orlando, will we be able to go up there and go to Disney with him?"

"If you keep aceing tests like that, we'll have to work on it."

"Me too, Mr. Axe! I'll keep up on all my studies, and I'll make you proud."

Sam looked down at him with a smile on his face and love in his eyes. "I appreciate that, Billy. But do it to make your grandma and grandpa proud. Most importantly, do it for yourself." He ruffled the boy's hair and moved his hand to his shoulder. He noticed in the short time Billy had been with them, he was getting taller. Or maybe he was just standing straighter and prouder, because he wasn't the same kid as when he first entered their home. He had a bright future ahead of him. Sam hoped that someday he would be around to see the outcome.


End file.
